President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni stands out as one of the most extensively advised leaders globally, with a considerable entourage of 82 presidential advisors spanning a wide range of topics, some of which appear highly specific, including counsel on Rukungiri district or Kigezi dioceses, and even domestic matters.
Beyond these advisors, Museveni’s personnel roster includes 27 senior presidential assistants, 40 private secretaries, and a domestic staff of 996 individuals residing at his residence alone, encompassing roles like 59 waitresses, 14 room attendants, 80 gardeners, 129 drivers, 50 cleaners, 35 cooks, and 12 chefs, among others.
This expansive workforce incurs an astounding annual expenditure of approximately Shs 50 billion. Furthermore, the Office of the President employs an additional 761 personnel. This expenditure has come under scrutiny, especially in light of Uganda’s current financial challenges marked by crippling debt and international sanctions, particularly from the World Bank due to the recent enactment of the Anti-Homos3xuality Act.
Kira Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, who also serves as the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) whip in parliament, asserts that Museveni must reduce the country’s spending on his personal staff and advisors to address the financial crisis. In a comprehensive 116-page report summarizing the State House and Office of the President’s ministerial policy statements, Ssemujju paints a grim picture of Uganda’s economy.
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According to the Bank of Uganda’s State of the Economy Report from April 2023, Uganda’s total debt (both external and domestic) as of March this year amounts to Shs 85.2 trillion, substantially surpassing its annual budget of Shs 52.7 trillion. The Ministry of Finance reports that the total debt stands at Shs 80.7 trillion (approximately US$21.7 billion), composed of Shs 47.7 trillion (US$12.8 billion) in external debt and Shs 33 trillion (US$8.8 billion) in domestic debt.
Additionally, Ssemujju underscores the urgency of servicing this debt, with interest payments for the current fiscal year reaching Shs 6.1 trillion on loans from local banks and an additional one trillion shillings for external loans. This doesn’t even account for the principal repayments of Shs 2.7 trillion for external debt. He argues that Uganda’s financial stability heavily relies on concessional loans from institutions like the World Bank and cautions against turning to commercial banks, which impose exorbitant interest rates.
Given the precarious state of Uganda’s finances, Ssemujju concludes that it’s both irresponsible and unrealistic to claim that the country can weather the financial storm without external financial aid. Hence, he calls for immediate and substantial reductions in the budget allocation for President Museveni’s personal staff and advisors.
In light of the fiscal year 2023/4 projections, the Uganda Revenue Authority is anticipated to generate Shs 29.6 trillion in revenue. Worryingly, this figure covers only 60 percent of the budget designated for loan repayments.
“It’s astonishing to note that our nation allocates Shs 7 trillion for wages and Shs 13 trillion for miscellaneous expenditures against program implementation costs of Shs 14 trillion,” Ssemujju emphasizes.
Responding to the World Bank’s decision to suspend loans to Uganda, President Museveni has argued that the nation can sustain itself without external financial assistance, urging the country to “live within its means.”
Consequently, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has announced that she has been directed by the president to revise the 2023/4 budget to compensate for the fiscal gap created by the World Bank’s withdrawal. However, Ssemujju contends that the initial focus for any budgetary adjustments should be the State House and the Office of the President.
He asserts that before considering other avenues, scrutinizing the spending on the president’s extensive personal staff and advisors would be a prudent first step in addressing Uganda’s precarious economic situation.
Ssemujju highlights that the president’s convoy now exceeds 60 vehicles, while his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, maintains a fleet of nearly a dozen vehicles, complete with amenities akin to those of his father’s convoy. Janet Museveni, the president’s wife, also has her own convoy with similar facilities. This doesn’t resemble the leadership of a country grappling with economic challenges and reliance on unpayable loans; instead, it resembles the grandeur of kings, queens, and royalty.
Ssemujju’s meticulous analysis of policy statements reveals that the Office of the President employs a substantial workforce of 761 staff, including 82 presidential advisors, 142 resident district commissioners (RDCs), 98 deputy RDCs, and 27 senior presidential assistants. Moreover, Ssemujju questions not only the large size of this staff but also the apparent lack of clear guidelines for their recruitment, qualifications, and compensation.
According to these policy statements, salaries among presidential advisors vary widely. For example, President Museveni’s brother, Caleb Akandwanaho, also known as Salim Saleh, earns Shs 17 million, while Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda receives Shs 20 million. For this fiscal year, Uganda is slated to expend Shs 25.3 billion on salaries and wages and an additional Shs 5.4 billion on staff training within the President’s Office alone.
Special presidential assistants, such as singer Catharine Kusasira, also benefit, earning up to Shs 2.5 million per month. The government additionally incurs costs on vehicles, drivers, escorts, fuel, rent, and other recurrent expenditures for the RDCs and some presidential advisors. The Office of the President operates an astonishing fleet of 400 vehicles, each ranging in cost from Shs 50 million to Shs 200 million.
Given these circumstances, Ssemujju advocates for a thorough re-evaluation of this spending, especially given the country’s precarious financial standing and increasing national debt. Apart from the 400 vehicles maintained by the Office of the President, State House, the president’s official residence, boasts an additional fleet of 266 vehicles. Notably, 71 of these are dedicated solely to President Museveni’s convoy for domestic travel.
While the State House policy statement provides a cost range for these vehicles—between Shs 150 billion and Shs 500 million—the actual costs of the president’s personal vehicles remain undisclosed.
“In a matter of a few years, the vehicular assets of State House have seen a significant increase. According to the Ministerial Policy Statement for the Presidency for the fiscal year 2018/19, the tally stood at 195 vehicles. By 2021/22, this number had escalated to 266. Furthermore, vehicles designated for the presidential convoy grew from 33 in 2018/19 to 68 in 2021/22,” noted Ssemujju.
“Moreover, annual expenses on vehicle maintenance were Shs 7.2 billion in 2018, while fuel costs—subsumed under inland travel expenses—total Shs 80 billion each year.”
Among the 996 employees at State House, Uganda allocates an annual Shs 47.7 billion for salaries and allowances, all part of the Shs 410 billion budget for State House this fiscal year.
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