Govt to spend nearly Shs200b to fight corruption in FY2025/26
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi (left) and the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General Duties) Henry Musasizi, appear before the Budget Committee at Parliament on January 28, 2025. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Uganda aims to strengthen its oversight institutions in an effort to curb graft, a persistent issue in the country’s governance.
Government has allocated Shs198.7 billion ($52 million) in the 2025/26 national budget to combat corruption, State Minister of Finance for General Duties Henry Musasizi has announced.
Speaking at Parliament, Musasizi said the allocation was approved by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus, chaired by President Museveni at State House Entebbe.
“In the budget for the next financial year, we shall provide Shs198.7 billion to facilitate efforts to eliminate corruption,” Musasizi told journalists.
The funds will be channeled through key anti-graft institutions, including the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, the Inspectorate of Government, and the Office of the Auditor General.
According to Inspectorate of Government Beti Kamya, Uganda loses over Shs9 trillion to corruption annually.
On Friday, government Chief Whip Hamson Denis Obua emphasized that the crackdown on corruption is one of the ten priority areas in the FY2025/26 budget, alongside economic monetization, regional market integration, and industrial park development.
The budget will also prioritize maintaining peace, security, and the rule of law, in line with Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan, the 2021-2026 NRM manifesto, and the tenfold growth strategy, Musasizi said.
The announcement comes at a time when several government programs previously funded by international donors are struggling following aid suspensions, including cuts imposed by U.S President Donald Trump.
Key institutions, such as the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), have been urging the government to fill the funding gap left by foreign aid reductions, though no specific budgetary provisions have been announced to address this shortfall.
With the new anti-corruption budget in place, Uganda says it aims to strengthen its oversight institutions in an effort to curb graft, a persistent issue in the country’s governance.
