By Luzinda Peter
The Ugandan government has announced that it will no longer allocate public funds for the organisation of national holiday celebrations, including Women’s Day, Labour Day, and Independence Day, starting in the 2026/27 financial year.
The directive was confirmed on Sunday by the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, who said the move is part of broader efforts to streamline government expenditure and focus resources on priority sectors.
Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi noted that future public spending will increasingly be directed toward critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure development as part of ongoing fiscal reforms.
For years, the government has fully financed large-scale national commemorations of key holidays, with events such as Independence Day, Labour Day, and International Women’s Day marked by official ceremonies, parades, cultural performances, and coordinated nationwide activities.
These celebrations have also attracted scrutiny due to the high costs involved, including logistics, security deployment, staging infrastructure, and mobilisation across districts.
Under the new arrangement, government expects future celebrations to be supported through private sector sponsorships and partnerships with development agencies and other stakeholders, although detailed operational guidelines have not yet been issued.
The policy shift is expected to generate public debate on the balance between fiscal discipline and the symbolic role of state-funded national events in fostering unity and identity.
Further details are expected in upcoming budget framework papers ahead of the 2026/27 financial year.
