President Yoweri Museveni directed members of parliament and local government officials to personally oversee the implementation of government programs, warning that leaders who fail to monitor public funds will face official scrutiny. Speaking at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds during the presentation of Uganda’s Shs84.4 trillion national budget for the 2026/27 financial year, the President emphasized that political affiliation does not absolve elected officials of their responsibility to ensure service delivery.
### Accountability for Public Funds
The President’s directive follows reports of financial irregularities within the Parish Development Model (PDM), a government initiative aimed at poverty alleviation. President Museveni cited complaints he received during recent election campaigns in Maracha, Kween, Kampala, Kawempe, and Buwambo, where residents alleged the theft of PDM funds.
“I will ask the Attorney General to see how I can deal with leaders who are paid to monitor but do not do their work,” President Museveni said. He asserted that the responsibility to track government spending extends to both the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and opposition politicians, noting that any leader receiving government resources must account for their impact on the ground.
### Budget Priorities and Economic Growth
Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Henry Musasizi presented the budget, which projects an economic growth rate of 10.2 percent for the next financial year, up from the current 6.4 percent. The government attributes this projected increase to expanding petroleum production and investments in productive sectors.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the government has invested nearly Shs11 trillion in wealth-creation initiatives over the last five years. This includes Shs4.4 trillion in revolving capital distributed to 10,589 parishes. The budget also targets an increase in domestic revenue mobilization to Shs45.6 trillion, or 15.9 percent of the national GDP.
### Transitioning to the Money Economy
A central challenge highlighted by the President is the integration of the remaining 33 percent of the population currently engaged in subsistence production into the money economy. President Museveni traced this shift back to 1962, when only 9 percent of households participated in the money economy, a figure that reached 67 percent by 2026.
To facilitate further growth, the President outlined plans for a sovereign wealth fund modeled after Norway’s, intended to manage the anticipated $1.5 billion in annual oil revenues. He identified the development of regional railway networks connecting Uganda to Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Rwanda as a priority to lower transportation costs for cargo.
### Environmental Enforcement and Health
President Museveni reaffirmed the government’s commitment to clearing road reserves of traders and protecting wetlands from encroachment. He stated that enforcement measures are necessary to maintain ecological balance and urban order, dismissing political opposition to these policies as opportunistic.
Regarding the national health status, the President reported that the Ebola outbreak remains contained. Official data indicates 19 recorded cases, with two deaths and several recoveries. The Ministry of Health and its counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to coordinate screening and treatment protocols at border points. No new cases have been reported in the last five days, according to the President.
