Opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye has launched a bold attack on President Museveni’s government, questioning the country’s budget plans for the 2024/25 financial year. Dr. Besigye took issue with the State Minister for Finance, Henry Musasizi, who recently claimed that the government won’t need to borrow money to pay salaries.
According to Besigye, the numbers don’t add up. He argued that while the government plans to collect about UGX 32 trillion in taxes, it already owes around UGX 34.6 trillion in debt payments alone. This, he said, means Uganda will need to borrow more money just to keep up with existing debts before even considering other expenses like salaries.
“Can the Minister, or anyone from the government, explain how they plan to cover all these costs?” Besigye asked. He criticized the government for what he calls “borrowing its own earnings,” a practice he described as unsustainable and potentially disastrous.
Minister Musasizi, however, defended the budget, claiming Uganda’s economy is growing, with inflation at a low 3% and GDP up by 6.6% in the last quarter. He reassured citizens that the government has things under control and won’t rely on loans for salaries.
But Besigye remains unconvinced, calling the budget unrealistic and asking the government to be more transparent. As he puts it, “You can’t build a strong house on shaky ground.”
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