President Museveni asks MPs to seek clarity on the strategic aims of leadership 

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has implored Members of Parliament to seek clarity on the strategic aims of leadership as they embark on their new term of office.

President Museveni made the remarks 11th June while addressing the Parliament on the National Budget day, he lectured the legislators on the essence of leadership in cause for national socioeconomic transformation highlighting the NRM government historical mission to that regard as a point of reference.

President Museveni highlighted that Uganda’s current 6.4% GDP growth is expected to hit over 10% next year due to the anticipated oil exploitation activities and the broadening market regional market for Ugandan products.

The President reminded the Members of Parliament to align their leadership interventions towards the integration of the 33% Ugandans living under subsistancehood into the money economy as he emphasized the ” no more sleep message” moving forward.

President Museveni promised to seek the Attorney General guidance on how to Parliamentary Whips both from the Opposition and ruling NRM MPs can ably play their supervisory on the legislators who abscond from Parliamentary sittings and how to play theor roles to monitor government programs.

He said that the Opposition Members of Parliament deliberately undermine and ignore their oversight role for government programs yet they earn government salaries and allowances to monitor such government programs.

President Museveni emphasizes that no more tolerance for laziness among leaders especially Government Ministers and all those earning government salaries and called on Members of Parliament to start thinking about the most suitable investment options for Uganda’s oil proceeds as he proposed the formation of sovereign account to generate interest from oil revenues.

He also mentioned partial use of oil revenues to finance major infrastructural projects including railway lines for cargo transportation and  pipelines for oil.

President Museveni commented about the ongoing eviction of wetland enchroachers and the enforcement of Trade Order countrywide which he said were in order and cautioned Ugandans to live carefully and avoid reckless behaviors that may expose them to contract the Ebola virus saying that no new positive cases have been registered in the country for the last five days.

He confirmed that 14 out of the 19 of the cumulative cases previously registered in uganda were from the Democratic Republic of Congo, two of whom died as the rest are undergoing treatment and only 5 Ugandans had contracted the Ebola virus 4 of whom were medics who got into contact with the Congolese patients and assured Ugandans on the possible elimination of the Ebola virus completely if they live within the health precautions given to them by health professionals.

President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that the deployment of Ugandan doctors in the Democratic Republic of Congo for Ebola response will save the Uganda from the illegal entry of Ebola patients and called on the population to seriously observe the health standard operating procedures against Ebola.

While presenting the 2026/2027 National Budget, the Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development, Hon Henry Musasizi Aliganyira revealed that Ugx 84.3 trillion has been earmarked for development.

Minister Musasizi read the national budget under the theme, “Full Monetisation of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialisation, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access,” and stated that despite geopolitical tensions, global trade disruptions and continued uncertainty, Uganda’s economic outlook remains strong, positive, stable growth with low inflation.

“The size of the economy is projected to increase to approximately US 69.3 billion dollars, equivalent to Ugx 250.4 trillion, by the end of June 2026, GDP is estimated to be US 197.1 billion dollars and GDP per capita is projected to increase to US 1,420 dollars, equivalent to approximately Ugx 5.1 million per person,” He said. 

Minister Musasizi noted that with commercial oil production commencing later this calendar year, growth is projected to accelerate at 10.2 percent in the 2026/27 Financial Year which will mark Uganda’s first return to double‑digit growth since the reforms of the 1990s and a larger economy that will create more jobs, raise household incomes, expand opportunities for business.

He said that this will generate the resources required to invest in quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and other public services that improve the lives of Ugandans. 

Current government reports indicate that Uganda’s tourism sector has fully recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with increased Tourism receipts  to US 1.86 billion dollars in 2025, compared to US 1.4 billion dollars in 2018/19 before the pandemic against the remarkable recovery from the lowest receipts of US 562 million dollars recorded in 2020 and demonstrates growing international confidence in Uganda as a destination for business.

Minister Musasizi reaffirmed government’s resolve to safeguarde and expand vital source of foreign exchange and jobs by increasing investment in tourism infrastructure, the sector, security, and Missions Abroad to effectively advance Economic and Commercial Diplomacy. 

He said that the Uganda shilling remains one of Africa’s best-performing freely floating currencies with stability reflecting prudentmacroeconomic management, a liberalised foreign exchange regime 

and strong foreign exchange inflows from exports, tourism, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), portfolio inflows and remittances and as a result, Uganda’s foreign exchange reserves are now at USD 6 billion in the twelve months to March 2026, up from US 3.6 billion dollars a year before. 

Minister Musasizi said that the Government’s decision to directly import petroleum products through the Uganda National Oil Company has further strengthened supply stability and reduced speculative pressures in the foreign exchange market. 

He revealed that Uganda’s export performance has been exceptional over the last five years when exports of goods and services have increased by approximately 204% where total export earnings reached US 18.04 billion dollars in the twelve months to March 2026, from US 5.93 billion dollars in the twelve months to March 2022 with leading exports include gold, coffee, cocoa, fish products, steel products, sugar and a growing range of manufactured goods.

Hon Musasizi noted that Uganda’s debt has financed strategic investments that are transforming the productive capacity of the economy and they include Integrated transport infrastructure, electricity infrastructure, water infrastructure, agro-industrialisation

education and health infrastructure,  housing and urban development, Industrial parks and industrial development and other investments such as national backbone infrastructure to extend internet and regional development.

He revealed government plans to expand access to affordable capital, strengthen enterprise development and increase household incomes where over Ugx 11 trillion has so far been directly disbursed into wealth-creation initiatives targeting households in subsistence economy, farmers, youth, women and businesses reducing barriers to participation in economic activity while expanding opportunities across the country. 

He noted that the Parish Development Model (PDM) remains Government’s most important intervention for eliminating subsistancehood and expanding participation in the money economy as a flagship project nurtured by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to attain full economic integration.

He adds that the government of Uganda has transferred Ugx 4.4 trillion to all 10,589 parishes nationwide, as revolving capital to Ugandans who were previously outside the money economy are now engaged in money-making enterprises and by the end of this month, Parish Development Model funds will have reached over 4 million beneficiaries. 

He also said that the government has further committed the next phase of the Parish Development Model to focus on boosting productivity,  strengthening value addition, and improving market access for the PDM beneficiariesl and policy guidance is planned to ensure that the underserved and densely populated parishes, particularly in urban areas, receive adequate funding.

The Government of Uganda will move to intensify investment in sectors that will drive Uganda’s next phase of economic transformation that include Agro-Industrialisation, Tourism Development, Mineral-Based Industrial Development including Oil and Gas and Science, Technology and Innovation including ICT and the Creative Arts.

On national tourism, the Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development said that the Government is moving to intensify the international marketing of ‘Destination Uganda’ through participation in major tourism exhibitions and targeted promotion campaigns in Europe, the United Kingdom, North America, Asia, East Africa and North Africa and others strategic tourism plans 

He announced government strategy to transform mineral wealth into industrial wealth this financial year through intensified mineral exploration and quantification and noted that geochemical surveys for gold were undertaken in Kasanda, Kiboga and Mubende districts and the exploration confirmed an estimated 300 million tonnes of iron ore in Kabale, Rubanda, Rukiga, Kisoro, Kanungu, Kiruhura and Hoima districts, while surveys of copper prospects were conducted at the Bukusu Carbonatite Complex, which also has potential for rare earth elements, as well as at the Boma and Lwensankala sites and evaluation of uranium, manganese, lithium and nickel deposits is also ongoing across the country.

Minister Musasizi sais that the Government has continued to make substantial progress towards First Oil through Construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the Central Processing Facilities is at an advanced stage and nearing completion while the Tilenga and Kingfisher.

He noted that upstream development projects also registered significant progress despite logistical challenges arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East adding that 51 additional wells were drilled, bringing the cumulative number to 199 wells, exceeding the 189 wells required for Uganda’s First Oil production later this year.

Minister Musasizi revealed government plans to achieve a tenfold expansion of the economy through the development Science, Innovation and Technology Centers to add to other funded projects including Kiira Ev and other local motor vehicle manufacturing plants, practicals and biotechnology production facilities, advancement of space science reative arts among others in which government has so far invested over Ugx 1.140 trillion.

On investment in key economic enablers, Minister Musasizi listed Government’s areas of focus to enable socio-economic transformation in line with the Narional Development Plan IV and the Tenfold Growth Strategy which include human capital development, infrastructure, security and the rule of law, as well as domestic revenue mobilisation to finance the transformation agenda.

Minister Musasizi highlighted key infrastructure development projects lined up for finding in the FY 2026/27 Budget including roads and bridges, Greater Kampala Metropolitan road improvements, water and Railway transport and enhancing the National airline.

He also said that government has allocated Ugx 2.07 trillion to energy development with Priority interventions that include the expansion of generation capacity by commencing the 380-megawatt Kiba hydro-electricity plant, a floating solar

plant at Isimba, and 500 megawatts of utilityscale solar in the Elgon and Acholi regions.

He also pointed out preparatory work for nuclear energy generation at Buyende, Expansion of transmission and associated substation infrastructure, rural electrification and industrial power connection.

He disclosed that the government of Uganda has sustained its policy of progressively increasing investment in essential medicines and health supplies and funding through the National Medical Stores was increased by Ugx 145.33 billion to Ugx 862.93 billion in thecfinancial year 2025/26. 

He added that Government will continue to increase domestic financing for essential health commodities with the aim of substantially reducing reliance on donor support which will guarantee uninterrupted access to essential medicines like antiretroviral medicines, anti-malarial drugs, vaccines and immunisation supplies, laboratory commodities and anti-tuberculosis medicines.

He said that the Government of Uganda has allocated Ugx 6.66 trillion to further improve education of Ugandans with priorities including expanding access to quality UPE and USE, strengthening STEM and vocational education, improving teacher welfare and training, with emphasis on pre-primary teachers, curriculum reform, strengthening public universities and research institutions and completing critical sports infrastructure for AFCON 27.

Minister Musasizi listed new tax measures already approved by Parliament for implementation this financial year in the categories of income tax, Value Addition Tax, Excise Duty and Stamp Duty.

He confirmed that Uganda’s economy expansion to US 69 billion dollars as he projects a double digit grow rate driven by strong export performance, First Oil, and sustained wealth-creation interventions that will translate into jobs, higher incomes and better livelihood for Ugandans.

Minister Musasizi noted that rising investor confidence and the Ugandan diaspora is responding with increased remittances, investment and active participation in Uganda’s transformation as the new budget aims to accelerate the attainment of the Tenfold Growth Strategy and Government has allocated 95.6 percent of discretionary resources to agro-industrialisation, tourism development, Mineral-Based Industrialisation and Science,Technology and Innovation and their key enablers prioritizing production, productivity, value addition, exports and job creation.

The Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth has called on Members of Parliament to analyze President Museveni’s Budget message and work towards the attainment of the set targets therein and then adjourned the House to next Tuesday 16th June 2026.