The Ugandan Parliament is scheduled to resume its session on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 2:00 pm, as announced by the Clerk of Parliament, Adolf Mwesige. The notice, issued on Monday, January 8, 2024, invites all Members of Parliament (MPs) to attend Plenary.
The resumption follows the adjournment of the 22nd Sitting of the 2nd Meeting of the 3rd Session of the 11th Parliament, which took place on December 13, 2023. Speaker Anita Among adjourned the House sine die during the December sitting, meaning without a specified future date. Among has proposed the idea of holding Plenary sittings both in the morning and afternoon to provide more time for MPs to engage in debates. While this practice is not entirely new, critics question its feasibility, citing potential scheduling conflicts with Cabinet ministers and some MPs.
Before the adjournment, Parliament had approved loans for various road projects, and the government initiated the budget approval process for the financial year 2024/2025. The National Budget Framework Paper (BFP), amounting to sh52.7 trillion, was tabled by the Minister of State for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (General duties), Henry Musasizi, during the Plenary sitting on December 12, 2023.
Musasizi outlined priority areas for the 2024/2025 budget, emphasizing investments in people, roads, peace and security, electricity generation and transmission lines, and effective management of natural disasters.
The sh52.7 trillion budget is expected to be financed through improved revenue collection, controlled borrowing to reduce debt servicing costs, and support faster socio-economic transformation. Public financing, including Public Private Partnerships, will also play a role in implementing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
