State House Seeks UGX 116B for Security

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | State House needs over 116 billion shillings for the President’s security for the financial year 2018/2019 as presented in their Ministerial Policy Statement.

Officials from State House led by the State House Comptroller, Lucy Nakyobe, appeared before Parliament’s Presidential Affairs Committee on Wednesday to justify the overall budget worth 274 billion shillings.

Out of the proposed budget, 116.5 billion shillings is for provision of logistical support, welfare and security to the President, Vice President and their immediate families.

However, the budget provision is 107.7 billion shillings and not 116 billion as desired by State House.

“There was a 10% budget cut on consumptive items like travel inland, allowances, and special meals in the financial year 2017/2018,” Nakyobe said.

Nakyobe also said State House needs 41.12 billion shillings to support the refurbishment of State House Complex in Entebbe.

She said it’s been 10 years since the completion of phase one of the State House Complex and that it needs refurbishing. The current Entebbe State House was built in 2007 a head of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Uganda in November that year.

Nakyobe noted that the budget will also cater for more updated security equipment at a cost of 10 billion shillings.

Nakyobe added that State House needs 134.5 billion shillings to clear presidential pledges and donations made over time.

The committee chairperson, Adjumani Woman MP Jessica Ababiku, said there is need for especially the pledges of the president to finally be fulfilled.

She said the Ministry needs to look at a way to have the presidential pledges met, as some people are eagerly waiting for them. She says the committee will look at the case to have the State House budget at 116 billion shillings for the next financial year and see if there is any improvements to make.