In the financial year 2024/25, the Ugandan government committed trillions of shillings to strengthen health, education, and access to clean water—three pillars essential to human development. These investments included expanding the availability of essential medicines, constructing regional blood banks, rolling out solar-powered water systems in underserved communities, and enhancing universal education. However, as budget allocations materialize into infrastructure and services, questions linger about the effectiveness of spending and whether promised transformations were achieved.
In the health sector, Shs 721 billion was allocated for healthcare supplies and essential medicines, including Shs 100 billion for general medicines, Shs 116.8 billion for ARVs, Shs 2.9 billion for anti-malarials, Shs 17.8 billion for immunisation, Shs 52.3 billion for laboratory supplies, and Shs 2.1 billion for anti-TB drugs. Infrastructure improvements included the commissioning of Regional Blood Banks in Hoima, Arua, and Soroti, operationalisation of 16 oxygen plants, upgrades to cancer and cardiovascular centres, new maternity wards, digital X-ray machines for General Hospitals, and CT scans in 14 Regional Referral Hospitals. Preventive healthcare efforts involved deploying Community Health Extension Workers, residual spraying in 13 districts protecting 2.7 million people, and introducing the malaria vaccine for children under five.
For FY 2025/26, Shs 5.87 trillion has been earmarked for health priorities such as functionalising Health Centre IVs, scaling up e-Health infrastructure, promoting nutrition and reproductive health, and strengthening emergency referral systems.
In education, the government provided Universal Primary Education to 9.52 million learners and Universal Secondary Education to 995,116 learners, while 5,192 students benefited from the Higher Education Students’ Loan Scheme and 4,000 received government sponsorships. Under the UgIFT Programme, 166 seed schools were constructed. In preparation for CHAN and AFCON27, Shs 496.8 billion was spent on stadia and training facilities, with Shs 1.34 trillion allocated for completion. Mandela National Stadium was upgraded, and the National High-Altitude Training Centre in Kapchorwa was commissioned.
School inspections were digitalised, and the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) was established to upgrade teacher qualifications. UNITE enrolled 1,000 students across five campuses and took over operations of 23 primary teachers’ colleges. The Abridged A-Level Curriculum was rolled out, with 357,120 learners transitioning from the new Lower Secondary Curriculum. TVET reforms introduced a new council and sector skills bodies to enhance industry participation.
For FY 2025/26, Shs 5.04 trillion will support free education, sponsorships, rehabilitation of schools, construction of new seed schools, recruitment of staff, textbook provision, operationalisation of Bunyoro and Busoga universities, and completion of sports infrastructure.
In water, sanitation, and environmental protection, 8 out of 10 villages now have access to safe water, with 57,951 villages served. The government completed 259 solar-powered water systems and gravity flow schemes, with 42 more under construction in districts like Agago, Yumbe, and Kasese. Piped water systems are being built in 32 towns, including Kamuli, Ngoma, and Ishaka, with expansions in Kiboga and Zigoti.
For FY 2025/26, Shs 366.1 billion is allocated for water resource management, climate change mitigation, and environmental protection, focusing on expanding WASH infrastructure and increasing forest and wetland cover.
Overall, the government has committed Shs 11.44 trillion in the next financial year to health, education, social protection, and water and sanitation—an ambitious investment in Uganda’s human capital and sustainable development.
