Stakeholders attend the Zombo District budget conference.

By: Brenda Achen

Zombo District Local Government has proposed a budget of UGX 37.8 billion for the 2026/27 financial year, up from UGX 34.67 billion in the current 2025/26 financial year.

The proposed budget was presented during the district budget conference held under the national theme: “Full Monetization of Uganda’s Economy through Commercial Agriculture, Industrialization, Expanding and Broadening Services, Digital Transformation and Market Access.”

District Planner Louis Ogwang said the district’s strategic priorities will include tourism and mineral-based industrial development, aimed at translating government interventions into tangible improvements in service delivery.

Ogwang said the planning committee will also review the implementation of key government projects from previous financial years, while aligning the next financial year’s priorities with the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).

The strategy aims to expand Uganda’s economy and position it as a competitive, export-oriented and knowledge-based economy by 2040.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Water Department, Lawrence Ruvakuma, said water and sanitation coverage in the district currently stands at 81 per cent. He said the district is committed to equitable service delivery under the principle of “some for all, not all for some”, covering its 754 villages and 61 parishes.

District Production Officer Dr Walter Kumakech urged farmers to embrace the national multi-million-dollar oilseed programme to boost agricultural commercialisation, increase household incomes and reduce Uganda’s dependence on imported vegetable oils.

Kumakech said the oilseed value chain project is being implemented through 25 farmer groups in the sub-counties of Atyak, Kango, Nyapea, Zeu, Akaa and Paidha.

He also highlighted the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation (UCSAT) Project, which supports various crop value chains through 120 farmer groups, alongside livestock production, particularly beef, involving five farmer groups, and fisheries.

The District Health Officer said Zombo lacks a government hospital, although efforts to establish one are underway following a community offer of land that has already been fully titled.

District Education Officer Patrick Angala reported that the district has 3,254 Primary Seven candidates, comprising 1,329 girls and 1,925 boys. He also reported 1,070, Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) candidates, including 688 boys and 382 girls, while  candidates are registered for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), comprising 275 boys and 77 girls.

Angala said the education department is prioritising skills development through technical institutions to provide alternative opportunities for learners who do not progress far in the formal education system, in line with NDP IV objectives.

Chief Administrative Officer Robert Abenaitwe identified persistent staff absenteeism, poor performance and the return of unspent wage funds despite existing staffing gaps as some of the challenges affecting service delivery.

Abenaitwe urged stakeholders to propose practical measures to address the challenges and ensure public resources translate into improved services for residents.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner Bruno Manano Obomba called on stakeholders to take ownership of the district budget and promote commercial agriculture to support the government’s economic transformation agenda and Vision 2040.

Obomba also urged heads of departments to submit their reports on time to facilitate approval of the district’s key priorities by the Ministry of Finance.