Gulu city secures extra funds to push 2025/26 budget to sh44.6bn

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Gulu City Council has approved a budget of sh44,640,961,430 for the financial year 2026/2027.

The budget was passed during a full council meeting on March 27, 2026, after scrutiny of the initial draft budget of sh40,760,633,711, amid several queries from councillors over key allocations. Members questioned items on the order paper, including mismatched planned figures and non-existent plans.

Caroline Adong, the Gulu city secretary for finance, told the council that the budget reflects an increment of over sh5 billion from sh39.1 billion in the financial year 2025/2026 to sh44.6 billion.

She attributed the increase to revised funding under the Uganda Cities and Municipalities Infrastructure Development Programme (UCMID) and a rise in the wage bill for civil servants.

Adong revealed that the budget rose from the initial draft of sh40.7 billion to the final sh44.6 billion following an additional allocation of sh3,880,327,719 from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, bringing the total to sh44,640,961,430.

She further highlighted key areas of improvement, including salaries for teachers and tutors amounting to sh2,572,130,028, a tourism grant of sh475,000,000, pension of sh55,680,165, and additional gratuity due to salary enhancement amounting to sh778,246,526.

After the passing of the budget, Alfred Okwonga, the Gulu city mayor, urged city technocrats and the political wing to harmonise their working relationship to ensure effective implementation of the approved budget.

Okwonga noted that the process exposed several weaknesses, as evidenced by the concerns raised by councillors, and emphasised the need to improve the budget preparation process through collective responsibility.

Morris Odong, the LC5 councillor representing Laroo-Pece South and newly elected LC5 councillor for Laroo-Pece City Division, said the increment is crucial in improving service delivery at the grassroots, particularly in healthcare, trade, and education.

Odong, however, urged the business community to cooperate with city authorities in implementing the ongoing Trade Order aimed at restoring order in the city, despite displacing some business operators.

While chairing the council meeting, Joyce Reene Alima, the Gulu city speaker, thanked stakeholders for their efforts in driving development in the city and extended best wishes to the newly elected councillors.