KAMPALA- The Secretary to Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi has revealed that ahead of the 2026 general elections, the Government will neither create any new constituencies and administrative units, nor will there be operationalization of any upcoming administrative units.
He disclosed the Government’s plan in the Second Budget Call Circular that he issued to Accounting Officers on 15th February 2025 where he provided details of the fiscal consolidation strategy, Government will undertake the following fiscal principles in the budget for FY2025/26.
“No new administrative units including districts, Cities, Municipalities, Sub-Counties, Parishes and Constituencies will be created and or operationalised in FY2025/26,” wrote Ggoobi.
The pronouncement by the Ministry of Finance clashes with the August 2024 statement made by Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja to Parliament of plans by the Government to operationalize 10 more cities on 1st July 2025.
Nabbanja made the revelation while responding to a question raised by Michael Kakembo (Entebbe Municipality) during the Prime Minister’s Question Time, during the 8th August 2024 plenary sitting.
In April 2020, Government created 15 cities in Uganda to be operationalized in a phased manner where 10 cities including; Arua, Mbarara, Gulu, Jinja, Fort Portal, Mbale, Masaka, Hoima, Lira and Soroti took effect on 1st July 2020.
These were to be followed by 5 cities of; Entebbe, Moroto, Nakasongola, Kabale, Wakiso but the operationalisation of these cities has since been dealt a blow if the Government stands by this pronouncement.
In July 2023, Speaker Among had also hinted at the 11th Parliament’s hesitancy towards creating new districts or constituencies until some of the challenges the new administrative units created in the past Parliaments are resolved because most of them are still grappling with shortage of funds for their fully operationalization, saying this was intended to avoid the mistakes committed in the 10th Parliament that rushed to create cities yet there were no funds provided to facilitate this process.
