KAMPALA – Parliament has revisited the Appropriation Bill for 2024, reallocating Shs750 billion following objections from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to approve the original budget.
In the initial 2024/2025 Budget passed earlier, lawmakers allocated Shs750 billion to critical areas such as ambulance procurement, bridge maintenance, construction of sub-county headquarters, and support for income-generating projects for families.
During a session on Tuesday, 02 July 2024, Speaker Anita Among read out the President’s letter outlining his reasons for rejecting the bill. President Museveni criticized what he termed as undisciplined budgeting, undermining national priorities, and allegations of corruption among legislators.
The Appropriation Bill, originally intended to authorize public expenditure from the Consolidated Fund, was initially passed on 16 May 2024 and submitted to the President for approval on 31 May 2024.
In his letter, President Museveni also expressed disapproval, accusing MPs of overstepping their bounds and interfering with the Finance Minister’s constitutional mandate in budgetary matters.
“There are mistakes here. These include indiscipline in budgeting, sabotage of national priorities, and suspicion of massive corruption. I am therefore requesting an end to these practices,” stated President Museveni.
Museveni highlighted the allocation of Shs440 billion for the reconstruction of 127 km of the Kampala-Masaka Road, noting that diverting Shs3.71 trillion over four years would equate to abandoning nine similar major road projects.
Speaker Among ruled that the House should function as a Committee of Supply since the Budget Committee was not fully constituted. Erute South MP Jonathan Odur and Butambala District Women Representative Aisha Kabanda supported her decision, citing concerns over corruption allegations that hindered the Budget Committee’s ability to investigate.
However, MPs strongly contested the President’s accusations. They were particularly dismayed by the Executive’s blame on Parliament for deviating from government priorities.
Kira Municipality MP Semujju Nganda criticized the President’s suggestion to prioritize ROKO at the expense of other public needs. “The President’s priority is to reallocate funds from ambulances and regional referral hospitals to allocate Shs300 billion to ROKO, a private company,” he remarked.
State Minister for Finance Hennery Musasizi defended the reallocation, stating, “These funds are for government obligations under the share subscription agreement to service ROKO Bills of Exchange and pay EFT bank charges of Bank of Uganda, among others.”
Napak District Woman MP Faith Nakut urged the House to address the issues raised by the President, emphasizing that the Budget Committee acted appropriately. Former Chairperson of the Budget Committee Patrick Isiagi reiterated that Parliament’s allocations were intended to fund critical sectors for the country’s benefit but eventually acquiesced to the reallocations.
“Given the President’s guidance on priorities and our commitment to sticking to the budget, I concede,” stated Isiagi.
The proposal was unanimously supported by MPs in a vote, allowing Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development Matia Kasaija to move a motion for the House to reconsider the Bill.
The revised Appropriation Bill now approves an expenditure of over Shs72.136 trillion, marking a Shs14 trillion increase from the initial estimate of Shs58.34 trillion. The budget allocates Shs18.9 trillion for recurrent expenditures and Shs34.7 trillion for development initiatives.
