By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba
The Rubanda District Council has today passed the budget estimates for the financial year 2023-2024, amounting to 36.8 billion.
The budget figures were read out by the District LC.5 Chairperson, Ampèire Stephen Kasyaba, at the District Conference Hall during the District Council that was chaired by the Speaker, Mary Waguma.
Out of the approved UGX 36.8 billion, the education sector takes the lion’s share with 18.7 billion, followed by health, whose allocation is 9.3 billion, roads and engineering, which is allocated 2.02 billion, and administrative activities, which will also consume 3.1 billion.
According to Chairman Kasyaba, the budget is expected to be funded with at least UGX 599.2 million collected from local revenue, while the rest of the funds will be from the central government and development partners.
Kasyaba outlined some of the priority projects that his administration will handle in the next financial year. These include the ongoing construction of Ruhija Seed Secondary School in Ruhija Subcounty and Kibuzigye Secondary School in Hamuhambo Town Council. Others are the Construction of the council block and offices, the construction of the district health officer’s office, the mechanized maintenance of Ihunga Kyamabare road (18 km), Kaara-Nyamuliro-Nshanjare road (12 km), Kaara-Mengo road (8 km), Nfasha-Kagunga-Mugyera-Habuhutu road (24 km), among others.
The Chairman also revealed that the district had received additional funding that was requested through the State Minister of Finance and area MP Henry Musasizi, and the money will be spent in the next financial year. Kasyaba explained that part of the additional funding will be used to develop the Kakore-Bugiri and Kyantobe-Kibuzigye roads. Other projects include the rehabilitation of Ruboroga Gravity Flow Scheme, the construction of the last phase of Bulimbe Gravity Flow Scheme, the construction of a multipurpose hall at Kacereere Seconday School, and the construction of an outpatient department at Kagarama HC.II, among others.
While speaking to our reporter after the council session, Ikumba Subcounty LC.5 Councilor Kenneth Muhindi expressed joy that the Nshanjare-Ndego-Kashaasha road would be worked on, adding that the poor state of the road was negatively affecting agriculture and business in his subcounty.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Council, Mary Waguma, thanked both the District Political and Technical Wings for the cooperation that enabled Rubanda Local Government to score highly, ranking 19th out of 146 in the performance of the budget implementation for the current financial year.
Ms. Waguma announced that today’s council would be the last in the financial year 2022-2023.
