By Sharon Kyomugisha
Government has allocated Shs10.21 trillion to security, governance and rule of law institutions in the 2026/27 financial year, with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, police, prisons, intelligence services, immigration and justice institutions listed among the priority areas.
Finance Minister Henry Musasizi said the money will go towards continued modernisation, training and welfare of the UPDF, full equipping of the National Referral Military Hospital in Mbuya, completion of the UPDF Headquarters, border security, counterterrorism and regional peace support operations.
The Budget also provides for community policing, crime intelligence, forensics, CCTV coverage, cybersecurity, protection of critical national infrastructure, immigration services, national identity enrolment, e-passport issuance, anti-corruption work and cattle restocking in Acholi, Lango and Teso.
Musasizi said peace, security and the rule of law remain central to development, investment and national stability.
In the outgoing financial year, government says it continued strengthening security infrastructure, intelligence systems and operational capacity, while improving the welfare of personnel in the UPDF, Uganda Police, Uganda Prisons and intelligence agencies.
The army takes a prominent place in the security spending plan.
According to the Budget Speech, Uganda continued to contribute to regional peace and security through African Union and United Nations peace support operations in Somalia, alongside military deployments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and other areas.
Government also reported progress on military health and command infrastructure. The 275-bed National Referral Military Hospital in Mbuya is now operational and handles an average of 150 patients per day, offering services including dialysis, dental care, physiotherapy and ENT.
Construction of the UPDF Military Headquarters in Mbuya is 70 percent complete. Government also says more than 230 housing units and new administrative blocks for the Air Force and Marines are under construction to improve welfare and operational efficiency.
The police and internal security line focuses on crime control and public safety. The Budget says reported crimes fell by 10.2 percent, from 218,715 cases in 2024 to 196,405 in 2025. The crime rate also fell from 502 to 427 per 100,000 people.
For the new financial year, government says it will enhance community policing, crime intelligence, forensic capacity and CCTV coverage. It will also strengthen border security and counterterrorism operations.
Cybersecurity has also been listed as a priority, with government planning to protect critical national infrastructure. This places digital security alongside physical security, as government systems, financial networks, telecom infrastructure and public data become more exposed to cyber threats.
Immigration and national identification also fall under the security and governance plan.
The Budget says mass enrolment and issuance of national identity cards progressed during the year, with 34.14 million people identified with a National Identification Number. It says 13.85 million cards were renewed, 14.67 million cards printed, and 6.2 million issued to the population.
Government says the National ID system has helped access to public services, financial inclusion and travel within the East African Community.
The security budget also includes Shs1.697 trillion that was provided to relevant institutions to organise the recently concluded general elections.
Cattle restocking is also listed under the security, governance and rule of law priorities. Government says the programme has started in Acholi, Lango and Teso, targeting 16,000 households, with each household receiving Shs5 million to buy two bulls and three heifers. So far, 2,001 households have been compensated.
In the 2026/27 Budget, continued cattle restocking in Acholi, Lango and Teso remains one of the listed priorities under the Shs10.21 trillion security and governance allocation.
The Budget therefore places the security vote on several fronts: army modernisation, military welfare, regional deployments, police operations, border security, counterterrorism, forensics, CCTV, cybersecurity, immigration, national IDs, anti-corruption work and cattle restocking.
The army-specific areas highlighted in the Budget include UPDF modernisation and training, personnel welfare, the military hospital in Mbuya, the UPDF Headquarters, Air Force and Marines housing, and Uganda’s role in regional peace support operations.
