The Ugandan Ministry of Defence is seeking a budget allocation of UGX 9.1 trillion for the upcoming financial year (2024/2025), according to Defence Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja. During a session with Parliament’s defence committee, Ssempijja highlighted that the allocated budget for the ministry in the next financial year is only UGX 3.8 trillion, resulting in a shortfall of UGX 5.2 trillion.
The proposed budget for the next fiscal year is more than double the allocation for the current financial year (2023/2024), which stands at UGX 3.8 trillion. Ssempijja outlined some of the unfunded priorities, including UGX 2.5 billion required to secure the East African oil pipeline under construction. He emphasized the urgency, noting that Tanzania is already prepared for the safeguarding efforts.
Additionally, the defence ministry is requesting UGX 62.8 billion for deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, UGX 27.5 billion for deployment in the Karamoja region, and an extra UGX 997 billion for the payment of salaries for soldiers.
