SHOCK AS SPEAKER’S BUDGET SKYROCKETS TO UGX 19 BILLION IN 2024/25
Kampala, Uganda — The Speaker of Parliament’s budget has seen an unprecedented surge over the last decade, sparking widespread debate over government spending priorities.
In the 2015/16 financial year, under then-Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, the budget stood at UGX 2.3 billion. By 2021/22, during the tenure of Jacob Oulanyah, the figure had increased modestly to UGX 3.9 billion.
However, under the leadership of current Speaker Anitah Among, the allocation has ballooned dramatically — hitting UGX 13 billion in 2023/24 and now rising further to UGX 19 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.
Even more startling is the donation budget under Speaker Among, which alone reportedly doubles the entire budget that the Speaker’s office operated on a decade ago.
Critics have described the sharp increase as “excessive” and “out of touch,” especially at a time when many Ugandans are grappling with economic hardship, unemployment, and underfunded public services.
So far, Parliament has not publicly explained the rationale behind the budget increases or detailed how the funds are allocated. The Office of the Speaker has also not issued a statement in response to the growing concerns.
As scrutiny intensifies, civil society organizations and watchdog groups are calling for greater transparency and accountability regarding the Speaker’s expenditures.
