During the budget reading at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on Thursday, Minister Matia Kasaija announced that the Ministry of Finance has allocated Shs 2.497 trillion for the education sector in the FY 2024/2025.
This substantial allocation underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Uganda, equipping citizens with the knowledge and skills needed for productive employment, and improving their overall quality of life.
Minister Kasaija highlighted that the new allocation will support the implementation of several key initiatives.
Among these are the support for the new curriculum for S1-S4 students, the operationalization of all 111 seed secondary schools, and the completion of 27 seed secondary schools under the Uganda Inter-Governmental Fiscal Transfers (UGIFT) Programme.
The government also plans to commence the construction of 60 secondary schools and expand 61 existing secondary schools under the Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project.
Additionally, loans will be provided to 5,192 degree students and 1,125 diploma students on the government-funded loan scheme, benefiting both continuing students and new beneficiaries.
The government will also take over Bunyoro and Busoga Universities to ensure inclusive and equitable access to university education.
Reflecting on the achievements of FY 2023/2024, the education sector saw significant progress. The government prioritized skilling in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and constructed and equipped 21 laboratories across the country in selected secondary schools using the UPDF Engineering Brigade. Learning facilities were upgraded in 12 Technical Institutes, and four Vocational Education Centres of Excellence at Uganda Technical Colleges in Bushenyi, Bukalasa, Lira, and Elgon. Out of 259 seed secondary schools planned under UGIFT, 105 were completed, and 144 are ongoing.
In addition to education, the government also focused on social protection in FY 2023/2024. It provided the Senior Citizens Grant to 439,069 older persons across the country, amounting to a cumulative total of Shs 565.7 billion. The Special Enterprise Grant for Older Persons Programme (SEGOP) supported 590 group enterprises, benefiting 3,636 older persons. Under the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), 23,083 youth projects benefitted 263,897 youths in areas such as agriculture, trade, services, and industry, creating over 1,250,000 indirect jobs. Through the National Special Grant for Persons with Disabilities, the government supported 6,282 enterprises, benefiting 49,372 persons with disabilities.
Minister Kasaija emphasized that the government will continue to support the welfare of the elderly through the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) for those above 80 years, and SEGOP for those in the age bracket of 61 to 79 years. The government will also continue to support youth and women beneficiary groups using recovered funds from the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) and the Uganda Women’s Enterprise Programme (UWEP). For greater efficiency, the management of YLP and UWEP has been unified.
To further bolster social protection efforts, an additional Shs 355.79 billion has been allocated for the next financial year. This continued investment in both education and social protection aims to create a more equitable and prosperous society for all Ugandans.
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