CSOs Push for Inclusive and Accountable Budget in Pre-Budget Dialogue
Civil society organizations, under the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), have gathered in Kampala, Thursday , for a pre-budget dialogue ahead of the Financial Year 2025/26.
The session, held under the theme “Making the Budget Work for the People: Prioritizing Expenditure for Inclusive Growth,” aimed to ensure that Uganda’s financial plans are people-centered and aligned with national development priorities.
Agnes Kirabo, the Executive Director of the Food Rights Alliance, highlighted the different perspectives scholars use to analyze the budget. She noted that political scholars view it in terms of power and influence, administrative scholars see it as a governance and accountability tool, while social scholars focus on justice and equity.
She stressed that for the budget to truly work for the people, it must address concerns from all these perspectives. Kirabo commended CSBAG for its continued scrutiny of the budget, ensuring that citizens’ voices are reflected in financial planning.
Julius Mukunda, the Executive Director of CSBAG, raised concerns that while Uganda’s economy has recorded growth in numbers, key sectors remain stagnant, and poverty levels among citizens have not significantly improved.
"Uganda’s economy is said to be growing, but if key sectors are declining, what kind of growth is that? Let’s focus on real, inclusive development, not just numbers! Planners are doing their best with little funding, but the demands are overwhelming. We need better resource allocation to match our national priorities. There is a need to check on the leakages in the budget for effective repurposing," Mukunda stated.
He outlined key recommendations from civil society aimed at improving budget efficiency and ensuring that government spending truly benefits Ugandans. These include reducing the national budget from UGX 72.1 trillion to UGX 57.4 trillion for a more realistic fiscal framework.
Other recommendations include reducing reliance on external financing, limiting domestic borrowing to prevent excessive national debt, and halting the creation of new administrative units to focus on strengthening existing structures and service delivery.
The dialogue took place at a critical time, with Uganda approaching another political cycle. CSO representatives warned that the budget should not be shaped by political interests but should instead focus on equitable resource distribution and strengthening key sectors.
Mukunda reaffirmed CSBAG’s commitment to advocating for a transparent and efficient budgeting process that directly benefits Ugandans. He urged the government to take civil society recommendations seriously in the finalization of the FY 2025/26 budget, ensuring that it prioritizes expenditure for inclusive growth and truly works for the people.
