Uganda Targets 7% Economic Growth in 2025/26 as Government Unveils UGX 72 Trillion Budget
Government has unveiled a bold national budget totaling UGX 72,376.48 billion (Seventy-Two Trillion, Three Hundred Seventy-Six Billion, Four Hundred Eighty Million Uganda Shillings) for the 2025/26 financial year, with the government projecting a 7% economic growth rate driven by commercial agriculture, industrialization, and digital transformation.
While delivering the national budget speech at Kololo Independence Grounds, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija emphasized that the government’s top priority is economic transformation, job creation, and raising household incomes.
“We are focusing on commercial agriculture, industrialization, expanding our services sector, and fast-tracking digital transformation,” Kasaija told Parliament.
The UGX 72.4 trillion budget will be invested in human capital development, infrastructure, peace and security, governance, and environmental sustainability, as part of Uganda’s broader plan to achieve middle-income status.
Kasaija highlighted key achievements over the past year, including a recovery in tourism, increased exports, and strong performance in the oil and gas sector. The minister also credited government reforms and infrastructure spending for stabilizing inflation and keeping public debt within sustainable levels.
Despite global economic shocks, Uganda’s economy grew by 6% in 2024/25, up from 5.3% the previous year, with non-oil revenues also showing improvement.
Kasaija reassured Parliament and the public that the government is committed to fiscal discipline and increased domestic revenue mobilization. He stressed the importance of value addition, supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and promoting the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy.
Speaker of Parliament Anita Among praised the finance team and urged Parliament to ensure the budget allocations translate into real impact on the ground.
The 2025/26 budget was presented under the theme:
“Full Monetization of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialization, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access.”
