The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has criticised government spending, accusing it of diverting taxpayers’ money to a few private companies at the expense of ordinary Ugandans and struggling businesses.
Ssenyonyi said the government continues to inject billions of shillings into selected private entities while failing to pay domestic arrears owed to suppliers and contractors.
“Gov’t keeps giving out taxpayers’ money to private companies, to the benefit of the individual owners and not the citizens,” he said.
He cited several companies that have received large sums of public funds, including Shs180 billion to Inspire Africa coffee factory in Ntungamo, Shs724 billion to Dei Biopharma, Shs668 billion to Atiak Sugar Factory, and Shs263 billion to Roko Construction Company.
“In the proposed budget FY 2026/2027, Gov’t plans to add these entities more money. If this isn’t theft, I don’t know what is!” Ssenyonyi added.
The opposition leader said the continued allocation of funds to these firms comes at a time when many government suppliers remain unpaid, pushing businesses to the brink.
“Suppliers and contractors who delivered goods and services to government are now facing bankruptcy. Jobs are being lost, businesses are collapsing. When government fails to honor its obligations, it weakens the entire economy. That’s the reality that we are living today,” he said.
Ssenyonyi questioned the government’s priorities, saying it is “flummoxing” that billions can be freely given to private companies while verified domestic arrears remain unsettled.
“It’s flummoxing how government is able to freely give out taxpayer money to private companies, but it cannot pay its citizens who it owes money—that should bother everybody,” he said.
He singled out specific projects, arguing that despite heavy public investment, there is little to show in terms of output or benefit to citizens.
“Government has so far spent Shs180 billion on Inspire Africa coffee factory in Ntungamo, a private company whose benefits the citizens don’t see at all. But of course, the business owner keeps laughing all the way to the bank on taxpayer money,” he said.
“Dei-Biopharma, that’s another private company which promised the country the COVID-19 vaccine, and that vaccine never came. Later they promised to manufacture medicine for the country—Shs724 billion was given—but there’s no medicine coming out of that factory,” he added.
Ssenyonyi also criticised the continued funding of Atiak Sugar Factory, saying, “It has so far consumed Shs668 billion of taxpayer money but, you guessed right, there is no sugar coming out of that factory.”
On Roko Construction Company, he said the Shs263 billion given as a bailout was unfair.
“Roko construction company also got free money for no work done. Unlike the others, the excuse was that this was a bailout to the struggling company—as if other businesses are not struggling,” he said.
While acknowledging that bailouts can be justified, Ssenyonyi faulted what he described as a lack of transparency and fairness.
“We have time and again asked government to come up with the modus operandi for bailouts, because bailouts are understandable, even globally. But when you selectively handpick a few connected people who have friends, relatives, in-laws and outlaws in government, and you give them free taxpayer money, and no one is held accountable for this, it is wrong,” he said.
He called for accountability and equitable financial management, warning that continued selective spending risks worsening economic hardship and eroding public trust in government institutions.
Over the years, President Yoweri Museveni has been vocal in supporting private companies as part of efforts to reduce reliance on Western products and promote value addition, manufacturing, and export-led growth.
He reiterated the same message during the recently concluded NRM retreat in Kyankwanzi.
