BY JOACKIM KULE
Kasese District Local Government will in the next Financial Year 2024/2025 operate on over 103 billion shillings budget with the education sector taking the lion’s share.
The budget was approved today afternoon during a council sitting at Kasese Resort Hotel in Rukooki along the Kasese – Fort-portal Highway.
While moving a motion seeking council to approve the above budget, Mr. Ham Natuhwera, the District Vice Chairperson who also doubles as the Secretary for Production and Marketing said the money to fund the budget would be sourced from the locally raised revenue (5.1 billion), central government transfers (94.5 billion) and donor funding (3.4 billion).
According to him, education would take 41.8% of the budget followed by health with 24.6%, administration with 12.4% and roads and engineering with 3.6%.
He explained that education and health sectors would take the biggest percentage because of the increased development grants for the construction of Seed Secondary Schools and elevation of Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IIIs.
Mr. Johnson Mayora, the Council Speaker, however, asked the councilors to approve the budget with amendments especially in the allocation of funds in some other sectors.
He challenged the council members to help the technical staff in mobilizing for local revenue enhancement so that they meet the target.
Mr. Mayora appealed to the Chief Administrative Officer to expedite the process of streamlining the issues surrounding Isango Cattle Holding Market that he termed as a major revenue base.
Earlier in his remarks, the District Chairperson, Mr. Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi had told council that the central government was committed to disbursing funds to Kasese District Local Government so that it is enabled to offer effective services to the population.
He also revealed that the district has been able to receive more than shillings one billion to facilitate the promotion and recruitment of new staff to fill the existing gaps created by the establishment of new urban councils.
ENDS