Joint Press Statement by CSOs in West Nile on Budget Priorities for FY 2026/2027

Posted on: 2025-11-13 09:00:02

As National and Sub-national governments prepare the FY2026/2027 budgets, we, the civil society organisations operating in West Nile, call upon the local governments and the Central Government to allocate adequate resources for service delivery, climate resilience, and inclusive development.

West Nile, with 4.38 million people, including 800 thousand refugees, remains one of Uganda’s most underdeveloped regions. 69.4% of the population is food insecure, 60.6% of youth aged 18–30 are neither in school nor employed, and 59% live below the poverty line compared to the national average of 16.1% (UBOS 2023/2024 national household survey). Refugee settlements intensify pressure on forests, wetlands, and arable land, leading to deforestation, soil erosion, and increased resource competition. Adequate budget allocations are urgently needed to address these multi-sectoral challenges.

Despite its vast population and urgent development needs, West Nile received only 7.4% of the total budget allocation to local governments in FY2025/26, and of this, a mere 8.3% was earmarked for development expenditure. This level of investment remains grossly inadequate to address the critical infrastructural and social service deficits facing the sub-region.

Joint Press Statement - Civil Society Call for the National Budget to Address Service Delivery Needs in Karamoja Sub-Region

Posted on: 2025-11-13 09:00:02

As Uganda prepares the National and District Budgets for FY2026/27, civil society organisations working in Karamoja stand together to call for urgent and targeted investments in service delivery for the sub-region. Karamoja remains Uganda’s most marginalised area, with poverty levels rising sharply to 74.2% as per the 2023/24 Uganda National Household Survey, three times higher than the national average. The region also records the lowest literacy rate in the country, at 25.4%, as well as persistent food insecurity and chronic underfunding in health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Despite these glaring disparities, Karamoja receives 17% less per capita budget allocation than the national average, and only 19% of its district budgets are directed to development spending. The result is weak service delivery systems, under-staffed facilities, and limited opportunities for youth and women to thrive. This press statement outlines our joint demands to the government and Parliament to prioritise Karamoja in the FY2026/27 budget.