Opposition Warns Uganda’s Debt-Fuelled Fiscal Path ‘Unsustainable’
KAMPALA — The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, has warned that Uganda’s rising debt burden, shifting fiscal targets, and controversial tax proposals risk undermining livelihoods, weakening institutions, and choking service delivery.
Presenting the alternative budget on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, Ssenyonyi argued that the country’s current fiscal trajectory is unsustainable. He noted that the bulk of government spending is already locked into debt obligations and fixed costs, leaving little room for productive investment.
According to opposition estimates, only about Shs34.2 trillion — roughly 44 percent of the national budget — remains available for discretionary spending. This squeeze, Ssenyonyi said, is already being felt through underfunded public services, stalled projects, and widening inequality.
“The government’s approach leaves no buffer for shocks and no space for development,” the opposition leader said. He called for a reorientation of fiscal policy away from what he described as wasteful expenditure and towards protecting households and critical service delivery.
The alternative budget proposal comes weeks before the government is set to present its final budget reading, with analysts closely watching how authorities will balance debt servicing pressures against growing demands for social spending.
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