By Andrew Victor Mawanda Naimanye
Renowned Economics and Apsiring Makindye West MP Rogers Kiyega raised serious concerns about Uganda’s fiscal priorities, especially in relation to the consistent push for supplementary budgets amid a ballooning national deficit.
Speaking to NBS Morning Breeze on Thursday, Kiyega questioned the sustainability of repeated supplementary budget requests.
“Each time we talk about Supplementary Budgets, we need to ask ourselves where that extra money is coming from,” he said.
Kiyega noted that despite Uganda already operating under a significant fiscal deficit, the government continues to seek additional funds, often with little transparency about how they are allocated or why they were not included in the initial budget framework.
“We are already in a deficit, but we still have to fund supplementary budgets,” Kiyega said. “Right now, the ordinary person is looking at the potholes, and it's more than that because on the grand scale, bad roads limit development.”
Kiyega’s remarks speak to the frustration of many urban Ugandans, particularly in the capital, where dilapidated roads and sluggish infrastructure development continue to choke business, affect transport, and diminish quality of life.
Kiyega framed the issue as one of political will rather than financial capability.
He argued that the state’s failure to address fundamental infrastructure needs isn’t due to a lack of resources, but rather a lack of commitment and transparency in how public funds are prioritised and spent.
“The issue to me is not funding, but the lack of transparency and the political will to fix our infrastructure,”Kiyega said. “It's evident that if the government wants something done, they will go to heaven and back to have it done.”
“If you want to see the seriousness of the government, look at its spending,” he said. “Based on the spending, Kampala isn't a priority for the government.”