Full Length Research Challenges and Prospects of Good Governance in Ethiopia: the Case of Kemisie Town, Ethiopia Shimelis Hailu Department of Political Science and International Relations, Wollo University, Ethiopia Email-Address: shimellishailu@yahoo.com/kummarraatura@gmail.com Phone No. +251924385625, P. O. Box 1145 Accepted 28 June 2018 This paper discusses about the prevalence of good governance in some selected public institutions of Kemisie town, Amhara region, Ethiopia. To do this the researcher used pragmatic paradigm, mixed research approach. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. To collect primary information interviews, FGD and questionnaires were employed. As well 206 sample populations were participated. Using five core elements of good governance the researcher reach upon the following conclusions; the general assessment of performance of good governance in Kemisie town shows that there are some progresses in establishing legal and institutional base for good governance but in terms of practices the study come across mixed results. The town achieved some progress in enhancing popular participation, government offices transparency and government accountability with some limitation. However, the government performance in terms of effectiveness and efficiency and combating corruption is not satisfactory. The practices of good governance in the town is challenged by harmful traditional practices, human trafficking, inter-house hold killing, religious fundamentalism, land related conflicts, petty corruption, partisanship and bureaucrats skills and ethical problems. Hence, the study implies that there is the need for national attention to control illegal immigration- human trafficking, which is the ongoing humiliating activity in the area. In addition, it needs comprehensive attitudinal change works on revenge, which is the major problematic cause of killing and harmful traditional practices in the area. Keywords: Challenges of Good Governance, Prospects of Good Governance, good governance, Good Local Governance Cite this article as: Hailu S (2018). Challenges and Prospects of Good Governance in Ethiopia: the Case of Kemisie Town, Ethiopia. Int. J. Polit. Sci. Develop. 6(4) 97-106 INTRODUCTION Good governance is pointed out as one of the target of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and agenda for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. It is considered as the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development. To achieve economic and social development, strengthening good governance is assumed to play a key role especially in mobilizing human and capital resources. In this regard Ethiopia, after long years’ tradition of centralized government and state structure, a International Journal of Political Science and Development Vol. 6(4), pp. 97-106, June 2018 DOI: 10.14662/IJPSD2018.026 Copy©right 2018 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article ISSN: 2360-784X http://www.academicresearchjournals.org/IJPSD/Index.html