By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Opposition Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has outrightly rejected the 6 billion shillings proposed budget for the swearing-in of the president elect for the 2026/31 term.
Last week, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajj Yunus Kakande told the Presidential Election Affairs Committee that the Office of the President had earmarked Shs6 billion in the 2025/26 financial year for the inauguration of the President-elect for the 2026-2031 term.
According to Kakande, part of the Shs6 billion will go towards catering for the over 10 presidents who will attend the inauguration ceremony, ensuring their security, accommodation, and overall comfort.
Other funds are allocated to advertisements, refreshments, and decoration at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, the traditional venue for inauguration events.
However, the UPC spokesperson Arach has criticized government’s request for Shs6b saying viewing it as wasteful. According to Arach, such spending is an indicative of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) disconnect from the financial hardships faced by ordinary Ugandans. She suggests that the funds should be diverted to creating jobs for the unemployed youth, building infrastructure and purchasing drugs in public hospitals.
“Does it really require that much money just to swear-in a president? When we have roads that are not repaired, we have 90% of unemployed youth across the country. When our hospitals are not well stocked with medicines, When we don’t have hospitals and schools in some areas of the country? And you tell me a president-elect needs 6 billion shillings to swear-in?” Arach questioned.
“Why are we worshipping politicians vis-a-vis the service delivery?” Arach added.
UPC says their government will not allow such extravagances come 2026/31, and urged for the reduction of these funds.
“Uganda People’s Congress we are saying this must stop and as UPC we have opened our eyes and we are monitoring closely and we shall not accept that as a party because the national money or the national resources are being misused,” Arach emphasized.
UPC has a history of opposing substantial government expenditures on presidential inauguration ceremonies. In 2011, the party criticized government’s reguest for 3 billion shillings to fund President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s swearing-in. This was repeated in subsequent inauguration ceremonies including the 2021, where government spent Shs7 billion on presidential swearing in events.
