Written By | Joshua Nahamya
Christopher Bakashaba-MP Mbarara City North Constituency
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Mbarara
Mbarara City has prioritised climate change mitigation, environmental restoration, agricultural resilience and regional trade in its proposed Shs55.04 billion budget for the 2027/2028 financial year.
The priorities were outlined during the city’s budget conference held on Tuesday, October 13, at Adit Mall in Mbarara, amid concerns over prolonged dry spells affecting crop production and livestock survival in Western Uganda.
Acting Town Clerk Robert Nuwamanya said changing weather patterns required the city to expand its focus beyond conventional infrastructure, health facilities and primary schools to include environmental conservation and climate-smart agriculture.
He said the consultations would inform the city’s Budget Framework Paper, which is expected to be submitted by November 15, 2026.
MP Bakashaba, RCC Kamwine, Councillor Abas Kazibwe representing male elders & Priscah Mulongo Male Councillor City South Dvision attending the budget conference
Climate resilience and River Rwizi restoration
Nuwamanya said the city planned to prioritise solar-powered micro-irrigation, wetland protection and urban tree planting, alongside the restoration of River Rwizi and encroached wetlands, including Rucece and Nyakisharara.
He said restoring River Rwizi, a major water source for Mbarara, would improve water security and create opportunities for tourism.
The city also intends to promote alternative livelihoods, including fish farming, to reduce pressure on wetlands from communities that depend on them for survival.
Some of the stakeholders that attended the city budget conference
Head of the Production Department, Dr Moses Amanyire, said urban centres had often been overlooked in national climate-smart agriculture programmes because of the assumption that agriculture was primarily practised in rural areas.
He said the city was lobbying the Ministry of Agriculture to extend micro-scale irrigation and climate-smart agriculture programmes to regional cities, where urban and highly mechanised farming activities were increasingly common.
Tusiime George Henry Salongo, representing the University of St Joseph Mbarara, called for stronger riverbank protection, improved urban sanitation and the promotion of ecotourism under the slogan Explore Ankole.
He warned that cultivation close to River Rwizi was contributing to soil erosion and siltation. He also urged the city to establish a designated site for wrecked vehicles to improve the urban environment and tourism appeal.
Some of the city dignitaries attending the budget conference at Adit Mall
Mbarara targets regional trade growth
Deputy Mayor Ronald Taremwa urged business owners to improve commercial standards, participate in tree planting and help position Mbarara as a regional business hub.
He said the city’s strategic location near the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania offered opportunities to attract traders and investors who would otherwise travel to Kampala or Masaka for goods and services.
Taremwa called for better-stocked commercial centres, improved business opportunities and greater promotion of Mbarara beyond its municipal boundaries.
Mbarara City Traders Association chairman Simon Seith Mwijuka urged the city to support small-scale industries, value addition and import substitution.
He proposed industrial benchmarking tours for local entrepreneurs, as well as trade shows and business forums where manufacturers could showcase products and attract investors.
Business representatives also called for improved foreign exchange services in Mbarara to enable regional traders to complete transactions without travelling to Kampala. They further raised concerns about parking-related harassment affecting commercial property investors.
Part of the civic leaders that attended the budget conference
Budget projections and revenue challenges
City Chief Finance Officer David Tibekinga Mbarekye presented projected expenditure of Shs55.04 billion for FY2027/28, down from the Shs61.4 billion approved for FY2026/27.
Local revenue is projected at Shs11.8 billion, an increase of Shs565.8 million, or approximately five per cent, over current collections.
However, Mbarekye cited staffing shortages, limited office space, tax evasion, illegal structures and resistance from some taxpayers as challenges affecting revenue collection and service delivery.
He said the city had a staffing gap of 376 positions and planned to improve public trust through community meetings and the publication of financial performance information on public notice boards.
Mbarara City North MP Christopher Bakashaba cautioned the authorities against imposing heavy taxes on businesses in underserved areas before providing basic infrastructure and electricity.
He urged the city to prioritise tax education and service delivery in peripheral areas, including Biharwe, Bunusya and Nyakinengo, before intensifying enforcement of trading licences and other levies.
Catherine Kamwine, Mbarara City's RCC
RCC calls for accountability
Closing the conference, Mbarara Resident City Commissioner Catherine Kamwine urged city officials to incorporate stakeholders’ views into the final Budget Framework Paper and ensure transparent, corruption-free administration.
She warned that poor implementation and corruption could undermine the proposed investments, calling on public officers to provide timely services without demanding bribes.
The proposed budget framework will guide the city’s spending priorities as Mbarara seeks to strengthen climate resilience, improve public services and expand its role as a commercial hub in the Great Lakes region.
