The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has expressed disappointment over the continued absence of ministers from plenary sessions, particularly during today’s critical debate on budget appropriation.
Uganda’s national budget for the 2024/2025 fiscal year has been increased to USh72.1 trillion, marking a significant rise from the previous year.
The budget operates under the theme: Full Monetization of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialization, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation, and Market Access.
It is expected to be funded through a mix of domestic revenue and debt financing.
At the start of today’s plenary session, only three out of 83 ministers were in attendance, sparking frustration and criticism from Members of Parliament, including the Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi.
Their absence came at a time when Parliament is reviewing and considering the final Budget Appropriation Bill for the 2025/2026 financial year, making today’s sitting one of the most crucial in the parliamentary calendar.
In response to the poor ministerial attendance, Speaker Among suspended all ongoing parliamentary committee sessions except for those of the Budget Committee.
She also directed the Minister of Trade, David Bahati, who was among the few ministers present, to mobilize the rest of the Cabinet to attend subsequent sessions.
Speaker Among further reminded Members of Parliament of their mandatory attendance at upcoming national events
These include the State of the Nation Address scheduled for June 5 and the Budget Speech on June 12, 2025.
Both events will formally mark the beginning of the fifth session and the final year of the 11th Parliament.
By Francis Lubega
16th May 2025
END
