Pader District approves UGX 46.97 billion budget amid local revenue challenges

9 May 2026, 9:49 am

By Geoffrey Okwong

Pader District Local Government has approved a budget of UGX 46,970,168,000 for the Financial Year 2026/2027 amidst persistent challenges in local revenue mobilisation.

The budget was approved during a District Council sitting held at the Pader District Council Hall, where district leaders pledged to prioritise service delivery, infrastructure development, and household income improvement despite the limited local revenue base.

Presenting the budget estimates before Council, the Secretary for Finance, Planning and Administration, Nancy Lawino, said the budget was prepared within the framework of programme-based budgeting and aligned with the national development agenda focusing on economic monetisation, industrialisation, digital transformation, and market access.

Lawino noted that the district expects to receive revenue from several sources including local revenue, discretionary government transfers, conditional government transfers, other government transfers, and donor funding.

According to the approved estimates, local revenue is projected at slightly over UGX 1 billion, a figure district leaders admitted remains insufficient compared to the growing demand for service delivery.

She explained that the largest share of the budget will go to Education and Sports, which received over UGX 24 billion, followed by Administration with over UGX 6.5 billion and Health Services with more than UGX 2.5 billion.

Other allocations include Production and Marketing, Roads and Engineering, Water and Environment, Statutory Bodies, Planning Unit, Finance Department, Internal Audit, and Trade and Local Economic Development.

Lawino said the funds will support payment of staff salaries, pensions, education services, health services, road maintenance, water services, agricultural production, community development programmes, and other government interventions.

Representing the District Chairperson, Vice Chairperson Justine Ocen commended both political and technical leaders for their cooperation during the budget preparation process.

Ocen acknowledged that while the district had registered achievements over the years, several challenges still remained, particularly in resource mobilisation and service delivery.

He called on stakeholders to ensure transparency, accountability, and value for money during implementation of government programmes and projects.

The motion for approval of the budget was later seconded by Hon. Ray Charles Okwir before the District Council formally approved the budget for the Financial Year 2026/2027.

District leaders also appealed to residents to actively participate in government programmes aimed at poverty eradication and socio-economic transformation while embracing hard work and accountability.

The approved budget will guide implementation of government programmes and district operations during the Financial Year 2026/2027.

The budget meeting, which began around midday with the singing of the National Anthem and council prayers, was briefly adjourned for 15 minutes after the Clerk to Council established that quorum was not enough to commence council business. The sitting later resumed at around 2:00 PM.