Ugandan parliament approves proposed $20 billion budget

Uganda's lawmakers have approved the government's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting in July, with planned spending roughly steady compared with the previous year, the parliament said.

The East African country will spend 72.4 trillion Ugandan shillings ($20 billion) in the 2025/26 (July-June) financial year, little-changed from the spending for the year ending next month, which stands at 72.1 trillion shillings, parliament said in a post on the social media platform X late on Thursday.

"The House has considered and approved the proposed annual budget for financial year 2025/2026," it said.

The government had said spending priorities in the next financial year would be in agro-industrialisation, tourism and minerals, including petroleum.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija is due to present the budget to parliament formally on June 12 and provide more details on where the money will be used.

Uganda is carrying out infrastructure projects to kick-start commercial production of crude oil next year.

That infrastructure includes a $5 billion crude oil pipeline to help the landlocked country ship its oil to international markets via Tanzania.