Parliament has re-allocated Shs750 billion after revisiting the Appropriation Bill, 2024, which President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni initially refused to sign. In the 2024/2025 Budget previously passed, legislators had designated the Shs750 billion to critical areas such as ambulance procurement, bridge maintenance, construction of sub-county headquarters, and support for income-generating projects.
During a House session on Tuesday, 02 July 2024, Speaker Anita Among read the President’s letter outlining his reasons for rejecting the bill. Museveni cited indiscipline in budgeting, sabotage of national priorities, and corruption among lawmakers.
The Bill, intended to authorize public expenditure from the Consolidated Fund, was first passed on 16 May 2024 and sent to the President for approval on 31 May 2024. In his letter, the President criticized MPs for interfering with the Finance Minister’s constitutional budgeting mandate, highlighting significant issues such as diverting Shs3.71 trillion over four years, which he equated to halting nine major road projects like the Shs440 billion reconstruction of 127KM of the Kampala-Masaka Road.
The Speaker directed the House to form a Committee of Supply due to the incomplete status of the Budget Committee. Erute South MP Hon. Jonathan Odur and Butambala District Women Representative Hon. Aisha Kabanda supported this move, asserting that the Budget Committee lacked the moral authority to investigate the issues due to corruption accusations.
MPs were displeased with the President’s accusations, particularly the blame on Parliament for deviating from government priorities. Kira Municipality MP Hon. Semujju Nganda criticized the President’s proposal to prioritize ROKO, a private company, over public needs such as ambulances and regional referral hospitals.
However, State Minister for Finance Hon. Hennery Musasizi clarified that the funds were for government obligations under the share subscription agreement, including servicing ROKO Bills of Exchange and payment of EFT bank charges by the Bank of Uganda. Napak District Woman MP Hon. Faith Nakut urged the House to address the President’s concerns, defending the Budget Committee’s decisions.
Former Budget Committee Chairperson Hon. Patrick Isiagi echoed support for the committee’s allocations but conceded to the reallocations given the President’s guidance. The proposal was put to a vote and unanimously approved, allowing Finance Minister Hon. Matia Kasaija to move for reconsideration of the Bill.
The reconsidered Appropriation Bill approved an expenditure of over Shs72.136 trillion, a Shs14 trillion increase from the initial estimates of Shs58.34 trillion. The budget includes Shs18.9 trillion for recurrent expenditures and Shs34.7 trillion for development.
