Buganda wants to share revenue with Gov't

By Moses Mulondo   

Buganda kingdom has asked the central government to share revenue collected from businesses operating in Buganda region.

“Before the Buganda kingdom was attacked in 1966, Buganda government used to get a share on the tax revenue collected from Buganda.  We want that to be re-instated. That was the major source of the money which used to run the Buganda government,” said the Buganda minister for finance Eva Nagawa Mukasa.

She made the remarks on Monday while presenting the kingdom’s 2014/2015 budget of sh7.4b to Lukiiko (parliament).

She explained that the kingdom’s budget is still too small because ever since it was re-instated, the central government has not been giving grants and revenue collection share which the kingdom used to get before 1966.

“Since 1993 when the kingdom was re-instated, the main source of the kingdom’s revenue has been rent from the Kabaka’s 350 acres of land. We want to share with the central government revenue collected from Buganda and that is what federalism means,” Nagawa elaborated.

The Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga said as government plans to introduce various constitutional reforms, they should incorporate Buganda’s demands like the federal system of governance and returning all the kingdom’s properties.

Mayiga cautioned government that if they bring any constitutional amendments which are against the interests of Buganda they would aggressively oppose them.

The Katikkiro and the finance minister announced that a total sh3.5b which excludes building materials donated has been collected in Etofaali fundraising drive which started last year in September.

Quoting a World Bank report, Mayiga once said about 75% of Uganda’s revenue collection is from the central region.

Whereas Buganda kingdom’s budget is at sh7b which is far less than average budget for each district, Uganda’s budget stands at 14trillions (14,000b).