Title: Transformational Leadership and Local Government Performance in Kanungu district, Uganda: A Mixed-Methods Investigation
Authors: Friday Christopher, Akunda Doreen, Harriet Mimi Uwineza, Byoonabye Ian
Volume: 10
Issue: 9
Pages: 144-161
Publication Date: 2026/09/28
Abstract:
The research sought to determine the impact of transformational leadership style on local government performance in Kanungu District, Uganda. Even though the significance of leadership in governing is acknowledged, there had been insufficient empirical studies carried out regarding how transformational leadership affected local government performance in rural Ugandan districts. In adopting a convergent parallel mixed-method design, the study sought to explore the impact of transformational leadership on local government effectiveness. The study population was made up of 258 respondents in Kanungu District Local Government. Through the use of Slovin's formula, a sample size of 157 was identified, out of which 135 respondents responded (response rate of 86.0%). The data was collected through a structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide involving 5 key informants. For the quantitative data analysis, SPSS version 22 was used to conduct descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis, while the qualitative data was subjected to thematic analysis. From the findings, it was observed that transformational leadership exhibited a very strong positive correlation with the performance of local government (r = 0.658), accounting for about 43.3% of the total variance (Rē = 0.433). The regression analysis was significant (F = 101.44, p < 0.001) with the unstandardized coefficient of B = 0.349. The study established that transformational leadership was important for enhancing the performance of local governments in terms of service delivery and satisfaction. It was therefore suggested that local government leaders undergo training on transformational leadership practices, mentorship programs be initiated, and performance evaluations should consider leaders' ability to inspire and motivate their teams.