Soroti District Council Approves Shs 35.9 Billion Budget for FY 2025/2026

Soroti District Local Government has approved a budget of Shs 35.9 billion for the Financial Year 2025/2026.

The budget was passed with amendments during a council sitting held on May 15, 2025, at the district boardroom. The session was presided over by the District Council Speaker, Stephen Olebe at the district council hall.

The approved budget reflects a reduction compared to the Shs 36.5 billion allocated in the previous financial year 2024/2025.

Presenting the budget estimates to the council, Samuel Eyangu, the Secretary for Finance, attributed the shortfall to cuts in the Indicative Planning Figures (IPFs) from the central government and a decline in local revenue collection.

According to the breakdown, Central Government transfers constitute the largest share of the budget, totaling Shs 29,769,425,000. Discretionary Government Transfers account for Shs 3,922,778,194, while Other Government Transfers amount to Shs 924,000,000. Donor funds contribute Shs 484,000,000, and Local Revenue is projected at Shs 700,000,000.

The Education department has received the largest allocation of Shs 14,882,693,000, signifying the district’s commitment to improving access and quality of education. These funds will cater for salaries of teachers, school infrastructure development, inspection, and learning materials.

The Health department received the second-highest allocation of Shs 5,304,875,000. This funding is expected to support the operation of health facilities, procurement of essential medicines, and payment of health workers’ salaries across the district.

Other key departments such as Works, Administration, Production and Marketing, Community-Based Services, and Water and Sanitation also received portions of the budget, although their allocations were lower than those of Education and Health.

Speaker Stephen Olebe commended the council for its diligence in scrutinizing the budget and called upon the technical staff to ensure timely and efficient implementation of the approved plans. He emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in public resource management.

“The real work begins now,” Olebe said. “We must make sure that every shilling counts and that our people feel the impact of this budget.”

The budget approval marks the beginning of preparations for implementation, which will commence on July 1, 2025.

Ends

By Abraham Ekwaru, Communication Officer Soroti.