Kampala, Uganda | URN | Parliament has approved a record 84.391 trillion Shillings national budget for the 2026/27 financial year, setting the tone for Uganda’s fiscal direction in the coming years. The budget, passed during a plenary session chaired by Speaker Anita Among on April 24, 2026, is the first …
Read More »Falling aid, rising debt
Uganda confronts new development reality Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Declining global aid flows and shifting geopolitical priorities are forcing a rethink of how Africa finances its development. Participants at the ninth Kampala Geopolitics Conference said this week, warning that traditional models are becoming increasingly unsustainable. The conference, held at …
Read More »Uganda spends beyond its means to keep growth alive
Finance ministry figures released on April 9 show fourth-quarter disbursements of Shs17.444tn, lifting total releases to Shs77.001tn—106.4% of the approved budget and 95.1% of the revised plan Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The government has released more funds than initially approved for the current financial year ending …
Read More »Opposition calls for reforms amid rising debt burden
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In its alternative budget for the 2026/27 financial year, the Opposition has warned that Uganda’s rising debt burden, shifting fiscal targets and controversial tax proposals risk undermining livelihoods, weakening institutions and choking service delivery. Presenting the proposals at Parliament on Tuesday, 07 April 2026, …
Read More »Uganda’s impending debt crisis
How our government’s borrowing and spending is putting our country at the risk of default THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | In a recent podcast of Bad Natives, I argued that there is a real risk of Uganda defaulting on her domestic bonds in two to …
Read More »Uganda’s debt rises to Shs131 trillion as questions of sustainability creep in
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s total public debt stock increased to USD 34.86 billion (UGX 131.2 trillion) by the end of December 2025, up from USD 34.21 billion (UGX 128.7 trillion) at the end of September 2025. This is despite the debt service totaling UGX1.563 trillion. The 52.7 …
Read More »Europe must help Africa break the cycle of debt
Without comprehensive reform of the global financial system, Africa’s development and Europe’s stability will face growing risks COMMENT | Nana Akufo-Addo & Ulrich Volz | On November 24-25, African and European leaders met in Luanda, Angola, for the European Union-African Union summit. Marking 25 years of EU-AU partnership, the gathering was not …
Read More »Uganda’s rising debt, shrinking lives
How government’s borrowing spree is leaving citizens bearing the cost Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | At dawn, the roar of engines rises above the quiet streets of Entebbe as David Tumusiime, 47, prepares for his daily commute to Kampala. Like thousands of other motorists, he joins the line snaking toward the …
Read More »Tariffs can’t stop U.S. debt woes, could make them worse
WASHINGTON, the United States | Xinhua | America’s gross federal debt has surged past 37 trillion U.S. dollars, a milestone reached earlier this month and five years sooner than pre-pandemic forecasts. Washington is now adding roughly 1 trillion dollars every five months, swelling a debt snowball that already costs nearly …
Read More »Climate change is making Africa’s debt burden worse but new debt contracts could help
COMMENT | MAGALIE MASAMBA | Many African countries are already struggling with heavy debt burdens. Climate change is making this worse. Africa contributes the least to global emissions but suffers the most from extreme weather, rising temperatures and drought. These disasters affect not just people’s livelihoods but also national revenues, making …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price