Joyce Namugambe
The Buganda kingdom has released the budget for the financial year 2023/2024 to help in the running of the activities in the kingdom.
The theme for this year’s budget is “No Dosing,” as stated by the king during His speech to the congregation on His 30th Anniversary celebrations.
The three main objectives of this year’s budget include to protect, guard and develop culture and norms of the kingdom, working towards improving the health wellbeing and financial development of the people in the kingdom, and the kingdom financial self-dependency.
While reading the budget to the lukiiko in bulange mengo, the kingdom treasurer and the second Deputy Katikkiro Owek. Robert Wagwa Nsibirwa stated that the world’s economy in the last 3years has not been doing well therefore countries have been struggling financially. He noted that the East African bank also showed that East African countries have been struggling especially due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and for Uganda, its economy has been affected by increasing prices of goods and poor road networks which has affected business operations in the country.
Owek. Nsibirwa indicated that the unfair tax system in the country has affected business men since some are burdened with unfair huge taxes and unfair collection mechanisms while minority groups are exempted, thereby scaring away business people from investing in the country and instead invest outside the country. He asked the government through Uganda Revenue Authority to revise the means of tax system in the country.
However, he noted that Buganda kingdom has greatly supported the country’s economy through the projects that help people to earn such as, the mwanyi terimba project, banana plantations, among others, and people have continuously joined the kingdom Sacco’s to boost their businesses.
According to the past 3years, the kingdom has earned more than the expenditure expected, as it expected to earn 157 billion shillings but it earned 174 billion shillings. This is attributed to the partnerships with different organisations and fulfilling the conditions set.
As the set objectives, the kingdom has worked on the wellbeing of the people around the country through blood collection in different parts of Buganda and over 80,000 litres of blood was collected, being spearheaded by the Kabaka development foundation, the kingdom constructed hospitals such as the hospital in Busimbi Singo, Njeru in Kyaggwe and Mukungwe in buddu and the work is moving on well.
However, according to the budget, the kingdom still demands over 500 billion shillings from the central government but it only paid 9.5 billion shillings and until now it has not yet cleared.
The government departments such as the security, ministry of internal affairs, and others have to pay the kingdom money for rent from the buildings they use but they don’t pay anything to the kingdom. Additionally, Land and more buildings that were signed by the president to be returned to the kingdom have not been given to it, Owek. Nsibirwa emphasised that the kingdom is to demand for what belongs to it in whatever way possible.
As a way of protecting the culture and norms in the kingdom, Nkuluze department received new ambulance with all facilities, Banda palace was renovated, they are working on expanding Baamunaanika palace, reconstruction of Namasole palace in Bumbu, kabowa tombs, wamala tombs, batanda bezaala, buggwe inside the Twekobe in mengo, kasubi Tombs, among other cultural Centre’s have been worked on.
The Buganda Prime minster Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga has revealed to the kingdom that the Kasubi Masiro Tombs were removed from the list of the endangered heritage sites in Africa in the UNESCO meeting in Saudi Arabia which gives Buganda high hopes of tourism attraction from the Tombs.
