Civil Society Organizations Scrutinize 2025/26 Budget, Advise Government to Prioritize Key Needs

A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including the Food Rights Alliance, World Vision, CSBAG, among others convened today at the Imperial Royal Hotel in Kampala for the Pre-Budget Dialogue for FY 2025/2026. The event, themed “Making the Budget Work for the People: Prioritizing Expenditure for Inclusive Growth,” brought together policymakers, researchers, and private sector actors to analyze the upcoming national budget and provide actionable recommendations.

Ms. Agnes Kirabo, Executive Director of the Food Rights Alliance, opened the event by highlighting how different disciplines perceive the budget. She explained that political scholars see the budget as a reflection of power dynamics, administrative scholars regard it as a tool for accountability, social scholars examine its impact on equality and justice, while economists focus on its role in resource mobilization and allocation.

Mr. Donny Silus Ndazima, a Research and Policy Specialist at World Vision, presented sobering statistics on sexual violence against children in Uganda. He described it as a global crisis, with more than one billion children experiencing violence annually. In Uganda, the situation is equally alarming:

24.7% of girls and 10.9% of boys experience abusive sexual touching.

17.3% of girls and 8.1% of boys face attempted forced or pressured sex.

10% of girls and 2% of boys are victims of forced sex.

He further emphasized that children with disabilities are four times more likely to face gender-based violence, with girls with intellectual disabilities being at extreme risk. Teenage pregnancy, he noted, contributes to 20%-30% of infant and maternal deaths and accounts for 22.3% of school dropouts among girls aged 14-18 years.

Julius Mukunda, Executive Director of CSBAG, outlined the dialogue’s objectives, which include:

Assessing how government policy proposals for FY 2025/26 align with national development priorities.

Identifying critical interventions to reallocate resources toward priority sectors.

Discussing strategies to enhance domestic resource mobilization.

Exploring ways to improve budget efficiency and accountability.

Mukunda also shared key recommendations for the government:

1. Reducing the proposed budget from UGX 72.1 trillion to UGX 57.4 trillion for greater realism.
2. Minimizing reliance on external financing.
3. Reducing domestic borrowing.
4. Halting the creation of new administrative units.

David Okwi, a Senior Economist at the Ministry of Finance, reported that Uganda’s economy grew by 6.6% in FY 2023/24, a significant recovery from the 4.1% average growth during FY 2019/20 to FY 2022/23. He stated that the FY 2025/26 budget strategy will prioritize domestic revenue mobilization while reducing dependence on external funding.

Mr. Thaddeus Musoke Nagenda, Chairman of KACITA, pointed out that while Uganda is excellent at formulating strategies, implementation remains the biggest challenge. He urged the government to emulate countries like Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia, which have successfully executed similar strategies. He emphasized the need to Engage the private sector, Improve awareness of government strategies as well as Bridge the information gap between policymakers and stakeholders.

The Pre-Budget Dialogue underscored the urgent need for a people-centered budget that addresses critical challenges such as violence against children, gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, and economic inefficiencies. By implementing the recommendations from civil society organizations like the Food Rights Alliance, World Vision, CSBAG, and KACITA, Uganda can align its budget with its development goals, ensuring inclusive growth and equitable opportunities for all citizens.