In a time when many economies around the world are grappling with inflation, rising debt, and slow recovery, Uganda has charted a distinctly optimistic and growth-oriented course with its 2025/26 national budget. Themed “Full Monetisation of the Ugandan Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialisation, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access,” this year’s budget is a bold declaration of intent: to transform Uganda into a modern, wealth-creating nation.Delivered by Hon. Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, at Kololo Independence Grounds on June 12th, 2025, the budget is packed with impressive statistics, bold targets, and a clear focus on the people and prosperity. With a total estimated GDP size of UGX 226.3 trillion (USD 61.3 billion) in FY2024/25—expected to rise to UGX 254.2 trillion (USD 66.1 billion) next year—Uganda is poised for accelerated growth.STRONG ECONOMIC PERFORMANCEUganda’s economy is projected to grow by 7.0% in the 2025/26 financial year, building on the 6.3% growth in 2024/25 and 6.1% in 2023/24. In nominal terms, the economy has expanded from UGX 203.7 trillion in 2023/24 to UGX 226.3 trillion this year, with a forecasted jump to UGX 254.2 trillion in the coming year.Driving this growth is a diversified and increasingly sophisticated economic base. Uganda’s traditional export base of coffee, cotton, and copper has expanded significantly, with 31 new products added over the last 15 years—including steel, cement, pharmaceuticals, ICT equipment, and dairy products. Notably, coffee exports reached an all-time high of USD 1.83 billion in FY2024/25 and are on track to double to USD 2 billion.Inflation remains under control, recorded at 3.4% in May 2025 compared to 4.1% the previous year. This is below the 5% policy target and is attributed to increased food production, effective coordination of fiscal and monetary policy, and reduced petroleum import costs thanks to direct procurement by the Uganda National Oil Company.The Uganda shilling has also remained strong, appreciating 4% year-on-year by April 2025—ranking as Africa’s most stable currency according to the IMF.HISTORIC REVENUE GROWTH AND TARGETED INVESTMENTSUganda’s revenue collection is projected at UGX 31.9 trillion for FY2024/25, rising to UGX 37.2 trillion next year. This will fund 60% of the UGX 62 trillion national budget for FY2025/26. The budget deficit is projected at 7.6% of GDP.To support long-term sustainability, Government will enhance domestic revenue mobilisation through tax base expansion, digital enforcement, and anti-smuggling strategies. Tools such as the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (EFRIS), digital tax stamps, and rental tax solutions will be deployed nationwide.TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS IN PEOPLEA whopping UGX 11.44 trillion has been allocated to improving the lives of Ugandans through healthcare, education, water, sanitation, and social protection.Health:The health sector alone receives UGX 5.87 trillion for FY2025/26. This includes the functionalisation of Health Centre IVs, scaling up national e-health infrastructure, and continued deployment of Community Health Extension Workers. Over the past year, the government invested UGX 721 billion in health supplies, commissioned regional blood banks, built maternity wards, and installed CT scans in 14 regional hospitals.Education:UGX 5.04 trillion has been earmarked for education. This will fund UPE and USE for over 10 million learners, higher education sponsorships, construction of 116 new seed schools, and the rehabilitation of traditional schools. The Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) has already enrolled 1,000 students across five campuses.Water & Sanitation:Government continues to roll out solar-powered water systems, with over 259 systems completed and 42 more underway. Currently, 8 in 10 villages have at least one safe water source. UGX 366.1 billion will go towards expanding water access, especially in rural and refugee communities.Social Protection:UGX 404.9 billion has been allocated for social protection, including the Social Assistance Grants for the Elderly (SAGE) which supports nearly 500,000 senior citizens. Additional grants are being extended to women’s enterprises and youth-led initiatives.TARGETED WEALTH CREATION INITIATIVESTo lift millions into the money economy, the government is investing UGX 2.43 trillion in wealth creation programs in 2025/26, including:Parish Development Model (PDM):UGX 1.059 trillion will be distributed to all 10,589 parishes to support more households. By June 2025, a total of UGX 3.3 trillion will have been disbursed to support 2.63 million beneficiaries.Emyooga:UGX 100 billion is allocated to boost skilled trades, benefitting over 2.4 million Ugandans to date and creating nearly half a million jobs.Uganda Development Bank (UDB):Capitalised with an additional UGX 1 trillion, UDB has already supported 607 businesses, created over 55,000 jobs, and generated UGX 20 trillion in output value.Agriculture Credit Facility (ACF):Receiving UGX 50 billion in new capital, the ACF has disbursed over UGX 1 trillion in low-interest loans to support agricultural activities and processing.Other initiatives include the INVITE project (UGX 275.1 billion), GROW (UGX 231.3 billion), Uganda Development Corporation (UGX 187.1 billion), and Presidential Zonal Hubs (UGX 58.5 billion).AGRO-INDUSTRIALISATION AND FOOD SECURITYThe budget allocates UGX 1.86 trillion to deepen agro-industrialisation. Key achievements this year include:Completion of seven large-scale irrigation schemes.Installation of 145 solar-powered irrigation systems and 4,300 micro-irrigation units.Establishment of eleven agro-processing facilities and support for coffee, maize, rice, and oil seed processing.The government has also introduced a UGX 175 billion interest-free loan facility for large-scale commercial farmers through PostBank and Housing Finance Bank.MINERAL DEVELOPMENT AND OIL & GASWith oil production expected in 2026, Uganda has made significant investments in its extractives sector. Key highlights include:10 gold refineries and four cement factories operational.EACOP pipeline is 58% complete.Tilenga and Kingfisher projects are on track.UNOC’s bulk fuel imports are saving the country over USD 72 million annually.84% of oil and gas contracts worth USD 5.4 billion have gone to Ugandan firms.Over 17,000 direct jobs have been created.A total of UGX 875.8 billion has been allocated to further mineral and oil development in FY2025/26.SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONUganda is positioning itself as a regional innovation hub. Key milestones include:Operationalisation of Kiira Motors with 41 buses produced.Investment in vaccine manufacturing at Dei BioPharma (UGX 724 billion).Development of a coffee processing factory in Ntungamo.Launch of testing kits by Gulu and Makerere Universities to fight crop and human diseases.The creative industry, digital infrastructure, and ICT backbone are also receiving targeted support to boost exports and job creation.TOURISM & EXPORT PROMOTIONTourism earnings rose to USD 1.52 billion in the past year, driven by regional marketing campaigns and improved infrastructure. Next year, UGX 430 billion will be directly invested in tourism, plus UGX 2.2 trillion for tourism-supporting infrastructure such as roads, stadia, and ICT.Tourist arrivals hit 1.37 million in 2024, up from 1.27 million the previous year. Uganda now ranks 7th in Africa for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism, thanks to the Munyonyo Convention Centre.The 2025/26 budget speech wasn’t just an accounting of numbers—it was a declaration of Uganda’s readiness to leap into the next phase of development. With double-digit growth on the horizon, strong investments in infrastructure, people, and productive sectors, Uganda is setting a powerful example in economic resilience and strategic planning.With careful implementation, transparency, and citizen engagement, this budget has the potential to be truly transformative—not just for statistics, but for the everyday lives of Ugandans across the country.The post TRILLION SHILLING TORNADO: Inside Uganda’s Mega 2025/26 Budget For Jobs, Growth And Glory appeared first on The Insider.