Kampala,Uganda – President Yoweri Museveni has directed Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi to present a revised budget for the upcoming local village elections at next week’s Cabinet meeting.
The directive followed a heated debate after Museveni and other ministers opposed the UGX 56.9 billion budget Magyezi tabled for approval. The funds were to be released by the Ministry of Finance to the Electoral Commission, chaired by Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, to organize the elections.
Cabinet sources told this website that the President questioned why the Electoral Commission was requesting money for new cars when vehicles used in the 2026 general elections were still available.
“Magyezi looked clueless because the President was very serious,” a source said. “He wondered why the budget was so large yet the election will be by lining up behind candidates. Many ministers supported him, and Magyezi was advised to consult Electoral Commission officers and ministry technocrats to amend the budget.”
Sources added that ministers left Cabinet uncertain whether the village elections will be held before the swearing-in of the President and other elected leaders in May, as Museveni directed. Organizers claim funding delays are holding back preparations, and time is running out.
Minister Magyezi and the Electoral Commission recently announced that local council elections would be held at the end of April 2026 after several extensions of incumbents’ terms. Campaigns are already in high gear on the ground.
When contacted, Magyezi said the President’s concerns and those of his Cabinet colleagues will be addressed by next week, and the village elections will proceed as planned.
The development comes days after veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda published a commentary alleging that self-seeking individuals close to the President are using his age to mislead him on decisions that benefit fraudsters and “mafias.” He named businessmen David Senfuka, Matthias Magoola, and Nelson Tugume, saying they have collected billions from the treasury and are pushing for more through their contacts close to the President.
