Uganda Parliament has approved over shs 1.1 trillion Supplementary Expenditure for the Financial Year 2025/2026.
The supplementary request was presented by the Minister of State for Finance (General Duties), Henry Musasizi, and includes a mix of budget reallocations, additional revenues, and external financing.
Of the total amount, 40.21 billion Shillings will be sourced through budget reallocation, while 6.25 billion Shillings will come from additional non-tax revenue.
External financing accounts for 72.9 billion Shillings, and Shillings 985.8 billion will be realized through improved budget execution and cash management efficiencies.
Parliament was informed that 519 billion shillings of the supplementary expenditure falls within the legally permitted 3 percent threshold, while 586.16 billion Shillings exceeds this limit.
Key allocations in the approved budget include 56.95 billion Shillings to facilitate LC1, LC2, and Women Council Committee elections nationwide, as directed by Cabinet.
Additionally, 29.57 billion Shillings has been earmarked for preparatory activities for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Uganda Police Force has been allocated 132.9 billion shillings to clear outstanding obligations, while 72.9 billion Shillings will support the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project, funded by the World Bank.
In the health sector, 40.21 billion Shillings has been reallocated to cover wages for newly recruited health workers across 19 regional referral hospitals.
A further 23.21 billion Shillings will cater for counterpart funding for wages to operationalize newly constructed schools under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UGIFT) programme.
The government has also set aside 107.52 billion Shillings to address wage, pension, and gratuity shortfalls across various sectors.
Additional funding has been allocated to other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies under the supplementary schedule.
The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi Musasizi argued that whereas some expenditures like the swearing-in of the President were foreseen, what is required to carry out the ceremony is over and above what was appropriated.
“At the time of budgeting, what we provided and what is required is different and this is allowable,” said Musasizi.
He added that funds allocated for AFCON preparatory activities are required to implement the urgent works, beginning with immediate requirements for the financial year 2025/2026.
These include priority road works in Kira Municipal Council, pitch improvement at Kadiba football stadium, branding of host cities and content production, financing of Hoima City and Masindi Municipality road safety and sanitation interventions, among others.
“Given the critical nature of these expenditure requirements, I pray that you consider and pass this supplementary to enable government meet these requirements as we come to close this financial year and all of them cannot wait for next financial year,” Musasizi added.
Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju (FDC, Kira Municipality) and Shadow Minister for Finance, disagreed with the classification of the items as emergencies saying that they are all foreseen expenditures.
