The Lamwo district local government council has approved a shs35.44 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, with the education and sports department receiving the largest allocation.
tndNews, Uganda has been told that the district leaders seek to improve academic performance and service delivery.
According to the approved budget estimates, the education and sports sector was allocated shs13.5 billion, accounting for the biggest share of the district’s expenditure plan.
District leaders said the funds will support school operations, teachers’ welfare, classroom infrastructure, learning materials, and sports development across the district.
The health department received the second-largest allocation of shs7.3 billion to strengthen healthcare services in health facilities, while the administration department was allocated shs6.7 billion to facilitate government operations and public service management.
Other allocations in the approved budget include roads and engineering with shs2 billion, production and marketing receiving sgs1.7 billion, community-based services shs773.9 million, council and statutory bodies shs763 million, planning unit shs688 million.
Others are water department shs598 million, natural resources including land, forestry and environment shs509.4 million, finance department shs368 million, trade, industry and local development shs195 million, and internal audit at shs134 million.
Speaking after the budget approval, secretary for production, marketing and natural resources, Justine Peace Odur, said the district prioritized key sectors that directly affect the livelihoods of residents and improve service delivery.
She explained that the budget focuses mainly on education, health, road infrastructure, water access, and agricultural production to enhance socio-economic transformation in the district.
Chairperson for human capital development, Ouma Vincent, said the increased allocation to the education sector was influenced by the district’s poor performance in the previous Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
According to Ouma, district leaders resolved to invest more resources in improving learning conditions, supervision of schools, and teachers’ performance in order to raise academic standards.
He noted that part of the funding will support rehabilitation of school infrastructure, monitoring of teaching activities, and provision of scholastic materials aimed at improving learner performance.
The secretary for education, health and community-based services, Erwondo Peter Fred attributed the increased education budget to concerns over declining academic performance in several schools within the district.
The secretary said the district intends to strengthen inspection of schools, motivate teachers, and improve learning environments to ensure better performance in national examinations.
“We realised that education needed urgent intervention after the district registered unsatisfactory results in the last Primary Leaving Examinations. This budget is intended to address some of those gaps,” the secretary said.
Also read: Lamwo district approves retirement plan for 15 civil servants ahead of 2026/2027 fiscal year
Meanwhile, Oyet Sisto Ocen, the district chairperson said the council deliberately prioritized education because improving academic performance remains one of the district’s key development targets.
The chairperson explained that poor PLE results last year raised concern among leaders and parents, prompting the district to increase funding to the sector.
He added that the district also plans to improve health services, road networks, and agricultural productivity as part of broader efforts to improve livelihoods and service delivery.
“We cannot achieve meaningful development when the performance of learners continues to decline. That is why education has taken the largest share of the budget this financial year,” the chairperson said.
Council members who participated in the budget discussions reportedly emphasised the need for effective implementation and accountability to ensure that the allocated funds directly benefit communities.
The approved budget will guide implementation of district programs and activities during the 2026/2027 financial year as the district seeks to improve education standards, healthcare delivery, infrastructure, and household incomes.
Discover more from tndNews, Uganda
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.