Parliament has approved a Shs1.1 trillion Supplementary Expenditure Schedule No.5 for 2025/2026 to cater for the swearing in ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni, preparations for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 and elections of local councils, among others.
The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi presented the request during the sitting of the House on Tuesday, 05 May 2026.
Parliament approved the supplementary after suspending Rule 160 request from scrutiny by the Budget Committee and other sectoral committees.
West Budama North East Member of Parliament, Hon. Fox Odoi-Oywelowo who moved the motion for suspension of the rule said that the supplementary expenditure makes provisions for critical areas of expenditure, including elections of LCs.
“Our democratization processes require that we carry out elections all the way to the lowest units of administration. It is imperative that we provide resources to enable people of Uganda exercise their democratic rights,” Odoi-Oywelowo said.
In the supplementary, Shs29 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Sports to enable the country start preparatory works to host the AFCON, Shs56 billion to the Ministry of Local Government to conduct local council elections and Shs3 billion to the Office of the President for the swearing-in ceremony of President- elect, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Additionally, Shs46 billion will go to various votes to cater for wage shortfalls.
According to the Public Finance Management Act, for an expenditure to qualify for supplementary schedule No.05, it must have been unforeseen or unavoidable at the time of budgeting.
Minister Musasizi argued that whereas some expenditures like the swearing-in of the President were foreseen, what is required to carry out the ceremony is over and above what was appropriated.
“At the time of budgeting, what we provided and what is required is different and this is allowable,” said Musasizi.
He added that funds allocated for AFCON preparatory activities are required to implement the urgent works, beginning with immediate requirements for the financial year 2025/2026.
These include priority road works in Kira Municipal Council, pitch improvement at Kadiba football stadium, branding of host cities and content production, financing of Hoima City and Masindi Municipality road safety and sanitation interventions, among others.
“Given the critical nature of these expenditure requirements, I pray that you consider and pass this supplementary to enable government meet these requirements as we come to close this financial year and all of them cannot wait for next financial year,” Musasizi added.
Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju (FDC, Kira Municipality) and Shadow Minister for Finance, disagreed with the classification of the items as emergencies saying that they are all foreseen expenditures.
Busiro County East MP, Hon. Medard Ssegonna, concurred with Ssemujju Nganda, stating that the government was aware of all the expenditures under the supplementary. “Some of these things are foreseeable, and yet we are here stampeded over items we knew. How does a minister tell us that we need a supplementary budget less than a month before the budget speech,” Ssegonna said.
Erute County South Member of Parliament, Hon. Jonathan Odur, also challenged the minister to provide a list of all villages in which the LC elections will be conducted, for purposes of accountability.
