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Municipal Council, passing the budget
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By Bruno Mugizi
Bushenyi - Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality has approved a budget estimate of Shs18.5 billion for the financial year 2025/2026, with a strong emphasis on improving the education sector.
Presenting the budget before the municipal council on Wednesday, May 29, the Secretary for Finance, Andrew Nimwesiga, noted that the budget has slightly increased compared to the previous year’s Shs15.9 billion.
“The budget has increased from Shs15.9 billion to Shs18.5 billion this financial year,” Nimwesiga said. “Education remains our top priority, taking 43.9% of the total budget, followed by health at 16%, and works at 15%.”
Mayor Richard Byaruhanga attributed the budget increase to the municipality’s commitment to maintaining the high standards of education that have placed it among the national leaders in Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) over the past four years.
“Bushenyi-Ishaka has consistently performed well in national exams, and for the past four years, we have ranked among the best in the country,” Byaruhanga said. “This budget reflects our deliberate effort to keep education at the top so we can sustain that standard and continue producing the best learners.”
Mayor Richard Byaruhanga
Presiding over the council sitting, Speaker Evalist Rwambuga Mucunguzi urged the technical team to ensure the effective implementation of the budget.
“It is one thing to allocate funds and another to see results. I call upon the technical staff to ensure that this budget translates into real service delivery for our people,” Mucunguzi said.
However, the session was not without contention. A heated debate arose when councillors demanded an increase in their sitting allowances by Shs10,000 — from the proposed Shs20,000 to Shs30,000.
“We do a lot of work and deserve better facilitation. Let the Shs10,000 increment be deducted from the Mayor’s emoluments,” one councillor argued during the session.
The councillors proposed that the additional funds be sourced by cutting from the Mayor’s emoluments, which are allocated Shs100 million in the 2025/2026 budget.
Budget comparison:
2023/2024 Budget: Shs13.9 billion
2024/2025 Budget: Shs15.9 billion (an increase of Shs2 billion)
2025/2026 Budget: Shs18.5 billion (an increase of Shs2.6 billion)
Over the past two financial years, the municipality’s budget has grown by Shs4.6 billion, reflecting the leadership’s commitment to scaling up service delivery, especially in the education sector.
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