Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has presented a minority report to Parliament, expressing concerns over the government's plan to finance the 57.44 trillion Ugandan shillings budget for 2025/2026 by borrowing an additional 24 trillion shillings.
This move, Ssemujju argues, will increase the burden on Ugandan taxpayers, who are already shouldering a significant debt of 109.8 trillion shillings.
"It's unfortunate that we're prioritising donations over essential services like education," Ssemujju said, highlighting the allocation of 80 billion shillings for donations while the National Curriculum Development Centre's request for 7 billion shillings to prepare a new curriculum for S.5 students was ignored.
Ssemujju's report also criticised the government's focus on non-essential areas such as workshops, travel, special meals, vehicles, and furniture, while neglecting key sectors. "We need to prioritise the needs of our people, not just cater to the interests of a few," he emphasised.
The minority report has been commended by MPs for being "pro-people" and raising critical concerns about the government's budget priorities.
As the debate on the budget framework paper continues, Ssemujju's report is likely to spark a more nuanced discussion about Uganda's fiscal management and its impact on the country's development.