Alex Byarugaba has urged Parliament’s budget. The chairperson of the Presidential Affairs Committee has asked parliament to increase President Yoweri Museveni’s donation budget for the next financial year, 2025/26.

A total of 83.03 billion has been requested by the statehouse to cover the outstanding presidential donations, although only Shs 53.03 billion has been allocated, and this leaves a gap of Shs 30 billion.

This comes at a time when the national budget is on a drop, and according to Henry Musasizi, the State Minister for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (General Duties), the resource envelope for 2025/26 is projected to be Shs 57.441 trillion, which is lower than the Shs 72.137 trillion allocated in the current financial year.

In the recent Auditor General’s report, inconsistencies were exposed for the 2023/24 financial year in State House expenditure. Here, the statehouse spent Shs 80.18 billion on presidential donations, while only Shs 18.17 billion was allocated Shs 3.397 billion on allowances

Byarugaba further warned that unfulfilled presidential pledges were and are still damaging Museveni’s reputation, as many MPs continue to report unmet promises from their constituencies.

Jane Barekye, the State House Comptroller, acknowledged the overwhelming demand for donations, particularly from ministers who push for pledges to be fulfilled in their respective regions.

“This is a growing challenge that requires collective action. It’s impossible to plan donations properly because we don’t know who the president will pledge to next. We prioritize based on urgency and available funds,” Barekye explained, as quoted by Parliament Watch. She emphasized the need for clearer guidelines to manage expectations.