Rukiga County MP and policy analyst Patrick Katabazi has said the government's Shs84.3 trillion budget is closely aligned with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto for the 2026–2031 term, particularly in areas aimed at driving economic transformation and advancing the government's ten-fold growth strategy.
The spending plan, approved by Parliament in April and due for implementation in the new financial year, is the first budget of the current political term and comes as government seeks to translate campaign pledges into concrete programmes.
The budget prioritises agro-industrialisation, tourism development, mineral-based industrialisation, science, technology and innovation, alongside strategic investments in infrastructure and human capital development.
According to Katabazi, these priorities mirror commitments made by the NRM during the 2026 general election campaign.
"The budget that is going to be read today has a direct link to the manifesto. The key themes that the President and the NRM campaigned on are clearly reflected in the budget," Katabazi told Nile Post.
The NRM manifesto, launched under the theme Protecting the Gains and Securing a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status, places significant emphasis on industrialisation, wealth creation, infrastructure expansion, human capital development and economic transformation.
Katabazi said the budget's focus on agro-industrialisation, tourism, mineral-based industrialisation and innovation demonstrates continuity between the manifesto and government spending priorities.
Among the key areas he highlighted is infrastructure development, including plans to advance the Standard Gauge Railway project and continue investment in major road projects such as the Kampala–Jinja Expressway.
"Expansion of physical infrastructure is one of the key promises in the NRM manifesto and this budget speaks directly to that," he said.
The legislator also pointed to continued investment in irrigation schemes as evidence of government's commitment to agricultural transformation.
According to Katabazi, irrigation projects are intended to help farmers reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture, particularly in areas increasingly affected by changing weather patterns.
Another area he cited is the Parish Development Model (PDM), which remains a central pillar of the government's wealth-creation agenda.
The NRM manifesto commits to strengthening household income support programmes, including PDM. Government has allocated about Shs2.5 trillion to wealth-creation initiatives such as PDM, Emyooga and youth-focused programmes in the coming financial year.
"The Parish Development Model was one of the key highlights of the President's campaign and this budget again contains significant allocations towards it," Katabazi said.
He argued that the programme remains crucial to integrating rural households into the money economy and broadening participation in economic activity.
Human capital development received the largest sector allocation in the budget at approximately Shs13.5 trillion. Planned interventions include phased salary enhancements for teachers and other public servants, an issue that featured prominently during the election campaign.
Katabazi said the allocation signals government's intention to address concerns raised by arts teachers, who have long demanded salary improvements comparable to those awarded to science teachers.
Despite his positive assessment, the MP cautioned against evaluating the entire NRM manifesto based on a single budget cycle.
He noted that the manifesto is a five-year policy framework whose implementation will be spread across multiple financial years.
"I wouldn't say that it 100 percent addresses the NRM manifesto, but it addresses the critical parts of the manifesto, especially those aspects that are in line with the ten-fold growth strategy," he said.
Asked whether the budget contains sufficient measures to tackle the rising cost of living, Katabazi pointed to government investments in education, healthcare and transport infrastructure as interventions that could reduce household expenses over time.
He cited continued funding for universal education programmes, expansion of school infrastructure, upgrading of health facilities and investment in transport networks as measures intended to lower the cost of accessing essential services.
Government has allocated Shs10.8 trillion towards infrastructure development, including roads, railways, electricity and transport systems, while maintaining substantial investments in healthcare and education.
Katabazi also linked planned investments in the Standard Gauge Railway to future reductions in transport and logistics costs, which could eventually help lower the prices of goods and services.
However, he acknowledged that significant challenges remain.
"There is a lot of work to be done," he said, noting that the success of the budget will ultimately depend on effective implementation and delivery.
His remarks come as government seeks to align the first budget of the new term with the NRM's broader vision of protecting previous gains while accelerating economic transformation through industrialisation, infrastructure development, wealth creation and innovation.