Government has requested for seven billion shillings to be able to organize the swearing-in ceremony of the new president after the 2021 presidential elections.
Government is mandated by law to organize an inauguration of the new president following general elections.
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On Wednesday, the Minister for Presidency, Esther Mbayo told parliament that the money is needed for a successful organization of the swearing-in ceremony following the 2021 polls.
“The swearing-in ceremony will automatically follow in May, 2021 however, no funding has been availed to meet the cost of these activities and the budget is shs7 billion,”Mbayo told the Parliamentary Committee on Presidential affairs.
“If we don’t budget for it, then we are bound to enter into a crisis that cannot be good for the country.”
Shs900M for medals
The Minister for presidency also told parliament that government needs shs924 million to procure medals to be awarded to various individuals with distinguished services to the country.
“We have run out of stock for medals and if there is a foreign head of state to visit Uganda, we don’t have a medal befitting of him,”Mbayo said.
“There is a risk to put president to untold embarrassment should he fail to decorate an invited head of state with appropriate national honor.”
The swearing-in ceremony is always attended by a number of dignitaries especially those from foreign countries.
For example, the 2016 presidential inauguration dignitary-studded function that was among others attended by presidents, Omar Bashir(formerly of Sudan), Robert Mugabe(formerly of Zimbabwe), Uhuru Kenyatta(Kenya), Idriss Deby(Chad), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), King Letsie III (Lesotho) and Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger.
Others were Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Hailemariam Desalegn, former Ethiopian prime minister, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud former Somalia president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (Mali), Edgar Lungu(Zambia) and John Pombe Magufuli(Tanzania).
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by then former presidents, Jakaya Kikwete and Ali Hassan Mwinyi among other foreign and local dignitaries.
