Government has earmarked Shs198.7 billion in the 2025/26 National Budget to intensify the fight against corruption, according to the State Minister of Finance, Henry Musasizi.
Musasizi made the revelation while addressing journalists at Parliament after a National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus meeting at State House Entebbe.
The meeting was convened to discuss key priorities for the upcoming national budget.
In his briefing, the minister also shed light on the issue of domestic arrears, stating that while the government has verified outstanding arrears amounting to Shs2.8 trillion, only Shs200 billion has been allocated in the next budget to clear part of the debt.
He emphasized the need for a comprehensive audit to establish the actual amount owed to suppliers and contractors.
“We have initially provided Shs200Bn. However, we have a stock of verified areas which is in the excess of Shs2.8Trn. What we want to do and from the commitment we made in the caucus this evening was that let’s do a thorough audit so that we know how much is real for domestic areas because Accounting Officers tell us an amount, when we verify, sometimes the figure goes up, sometimes the figure goes down,” Musasizi explained.
The government’s commitment to combating corruption comes amid growing concerns about financial mismanagement in various public offices.
However, questions remain about the adequacy of the Shs200 billion allocation for domestic arrears, given the substantial debt burden.
President Museveni established the Anti-Corruption Unit specifically to combat corruption. However, despite its efforts, corruption continues to rise.
Similarly, the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has consistently emphasized the fight against corruption, yet the problem appears to be worsening.
Recently, officials from the Ministry of Finance were implicated in a scandal involving the misappropriation of funds from the Bank of Uganda.
The Ugandan government has allocated Shs198.7 billion in the 2025/26 National Budget to fight corruption, while only Shs200 billion has been set aside to clear part of the Shs2.8 trillion domestic arrears
