The Luwero District Council has approved a 108 billion Shillings budget for the 2026/27 financial year, with 93 per cent of the funds allocated to salaries and recurrent expenditures, raising concerns over limited investment in development projects.
Isaac Wampamba, the District Secretary for Finance, Planning, Administration and Investment, presented the budget, which was unanimously approved by the council.
Under the approved allocations, education services received the largest share at 53 billion Shillings, followed by administration with 23 billion Shillings. Health services were allocated 16 billion Shillings, while the production department received 3.8 billion Shillings.
The district also allocated 2.4 billion Shillings to roads and engineering services, 731 million Shillings to the water sector, and 553 million Shillings to community services. Trade services received the smallest allocation at 152 million Shillings.
Wampamba explained that wages and salaries for more than 4,600 district employees will consume 68 billion Shillings, representing 63 per cent of the total budget. Another 32 billion Shillings, equivalent to 30 per cent, has been earmarked for non-wage recurrent expenditure.
The non-wage expenditure will cater for operational costs such as fuel, stationery, vehicle maintenance, councillors’ allowances, and payments to boards and commissions. As a result, only 8 billion Shillings, representing seven per cent of the budget, remains available for development projects, including road works, construction of schools, and health facilities.
Luwero District Chairperson Erastus Kibirango acknowledged the importance of staffing in sectors such as health and education, but said the district’s allocation for infrastructure development remains far below the actual needs.
Kibirango said the district plans to use the limited development funds to construct pit latrines costing 28 million Shillings each in 11 schools, renovate classroom blocks in 12 schools, and construct new classroom blocks in 10 schools. However, he noted that these interventions are insufficient, given that more than 230 schools across the district face similar infrastructure challenges.
He added that only 1.5 billion Shillings has been allocated for mechanised routine maintenance of 11 roads, despite the extensive road network requiring urgent repairs and maintenance.
Kibirango said the district leadership intends to lobby Parliament and the central government for additional development grants to address the growing infrastructure deficit. The district is also grappling with inadequate health facilities at Kabanyi, Nakigoza, Kireku, Kirumandagi, and Bubuubi Health Centre III.
At least five sub-counties and town councils operate without health centres, while existing facilities continue to face shortages of medicines and other essential supplies. With such limited funding for development, residents of Luwero are likely to continue facing inadequate services in education, health care, and road infrastructure, sectors that remain heavily constrained by underfunding-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
