MPs Probe State House new budget plan for cars, donations

President Museveni (in white shirt) at Entebbe airport as he prepared to receive two of the CJR900 bombardiers for the revived Uganda National Airlines on April 23, 2020. On his right is his Mercedes Benz Limousine and the Mi-17 helicopter (behind). PHOTO/ FILE
What you need to know:
- “State House requires Shs83.03 billion to facilitate payment of pending donations, but only Shs53.03 billion is provided for in the Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEFs) ceiling, resulting in a funding gap of Shs30 billion,” Mr Byarugaba
Legislators on Parliament’s Committee on Budget have raised concerns over the government’s proposal to allocate funds for the procurement of new cars for State House and a section of taxpayers' money for donations.
The issue came to light after the chairperson of the Presidential Affairs Committee, Mr Alex Byarugaba, presented his committee's report on January 23, requesting the inclusion of these expenditures in the 2025/26 National Budget.
The report, tabled before the Budget Committee currently processing the 2025/26 National Budget Framework Paper (NBFP), forms part of the budget processes shaping next year’s financial budget.
“State House requires Shs83.03 billion to facilitate payment of pending donations, but only Shs53.03 billion is provided for in the Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEFs) ceiling, resulting in a funding gap of Shs30 billion,” Mr Byarugaba stated.
He further added, “That is very terrible, and remember, most of our areas have something we demand as far as the Presidential pledges are concerned. Shs30 billion should be provided to State House to facilitate the fulfillment of presidential donations. It is important that this matter is seriously looked into.”
Mr Byarugaba highlighted that unfulfilled presidential pledges remain a recurring budget execution challenge for State House, noting that failure to fulfill these pledges could tarnish the image of the President.
Defending the call for a new fleet, Mr Byarugaba revealed that State House’s vehicles are aging, with maintenance costs increasing every year. He linked the need for new cars to the upcoming election season and monitoring the Parish Development Model.
Opposition to the request
Shadow Finance Minister Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda opposed the proposal, expressing fears that the vehicles might be used for campaigns in the lead-up to the 2025/2026 general elections.
“The Chairperson of the Committee reports that State House wants Shs10 billion to buy vehicles, justified as necessary for a busy election season and monitoring the Parish Development Model,” Mr Ssemujju said.
“But you can’t justify buying vehicles for the NRM campaigns and include it in the national budget. You’re essentially saying, ‘We buy him vehicles because it’s a campaign period.’”
Kilak South MP Mr Anthony Akol raised further concerns about the transparency of donation expenditures, questioning how funds for presidential pledges are managed.
“We have been providing money for presidential pledges. How are they fulfilled? What is the criteria? Can we now have a list for this particular budget—what will be fulfilled and what won’t? Year after year, pledges remain unfulfilled, and there’s no clear process for selecting which ones to address,” Mr Akol noted.
Civil society raises alarm
The Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) also criticized the priorities outlined in the proposed budget.
“When you set priorities, you don’t need donations and new cars. We’re splitting our money and wasting it on so many different things. Their priorities are upside down, and that approach doesn’t work,” said Mr Julius Mukunda, CSBAG’s Executive Director.
The Budget Committee did not reach a conclusive decision on the matter during the January 23, 2025 session. However, the committee is expected to hold a closed-door meeting to deliberate further on the budget requests.