By Mulengera Reporters
A review of KCCA-related literature that was recently submitted to one of the Parliamentary Committees shows a leadership crisis at City Hall. The literature shows that as of May 2026, Shs759bn (or 73%) out of the Shs990bn budget-allocated funding had been released to KCCA.
This comprises of the Shs536bn from the GoU and another roughly Shs410bn that was supposed to come under loan-funded projects. A total of Shs398bn was allocated to the KCCA Directorates and another roughly Shs21bn was expended through Divisions-based service delivery activities.
The available literature shows that the Sharifah Buzeki-led administration hasn’t been very efficient when it comes to absorption or utilization of the availed funds. For unknown reasons, City Hall often fails to spend the money within the designated time (yet many stakeholders cry of inadequate funding for the City Authority).
As at 31st May 2026, a total of Shs759bn had been released and warranted to KCCA yet the leadership had only been able to spend and utilize only Shs351.37bn; leaving 29% of the availed funds unutilized.
The GoU gave Buzeki Shs166.34bn for wages/salaries for staff and political leaders and as at 31st May, Shs33bn of that remained unabsorbed. Only Shs134bn (equaling 80%) had been spent.
When it comes to non-wage/recurrent expenditure, a total of Shs109bn was availed of which the City leaders had only managed to spend Shs91bn (84%) as at 31st May, with one month left to the end of the FY. This means even when many suppliers and contractors continue complaining of uncashed invoices, the authorities at City Hall failed to spend Shs15.3bn under that item of non-wage expenditure.
On funds availed to fund capital projects such as roads, Shs223bn was availed and Buzeki only managed to spend Shs126bn within the designated time.
When it comes to domestic arrears (due to suppliers and contractors who previously did work but the Authority was unable to pay them promptly during the preceding FYs), Shs11bn was availed and yet as at 31st May the absorption rate of those funds stood at 0%!
Under Uganda Road Fund, KCCA was availed Shs9.99bn to facilitate maintenance road works and as at 31st May, Buzeki the accounting officer had only managed to utilize Shs7.74bn (77%) in a capital city whose dilapidated road infrastructure is always attributed to absence of funds. Shs2.02bn curiously remained unutilized.
Under loan-funded infrastructure projects (under KCRRP & GKMA), a total of Shs326.06bn was availed to KCCA and yet as at 31st May, only Shs177.36bn (54%) had been utilized with barely a month to end the FY.
Under the World Bank-funded Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area projects, Shs62bn was availed to KCCA yet as at 31st May, only Shs25.21bn (41%) had been spent. This ineptness (seen in failure or refusal to spend Shs33.85bn) demoralizes, as opposed to motivating, the GoU’s development partners.
Under the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project (KCRRP), a total of Shs265bn had been availed as at 31st May and Buzeki had only managed to utilize Shs152.15bn (58%). A whole Shs112.36bn remained unspent or unutilized.
For the compensation of Kitezi victims, KCCA was availed Shs4.4bn but still the leadership was unable to spend the whole of it. It was asserted that some of the intended beneficiaries couldn’t be traced and others had allegedly travelled abroad for odd jobs.
For the compensation of Kitezi victims, KCCA was availed Shs4.4bn but still the leadership was unable to spend the whole of it within designated time.
Whereas salaries and wages have always been promptly paid and the relevant money expended, the Authority had a liability of Shs28bn deriving from unremitted statutory payments such as PAYE as at 31st May. Fully meeting the relevant fuel expenses and obligations relating to payment of sports club allowances was also still a big problem for KCCA.
To supplement on GoU funds, which are never adequate, KCCA solicits and obtains grant money from donors-both foreign and local. Yet during the period under review, a total of Shs9,983,339,188 was raised under 36 such small-small donor-funded projects. Yet the Authority only managed to spend Shs6.8bn; leaving the rest of the money unspent/unutilized.
KCCA Festival is one such example. Under it, a total of Shs154m was realized mainly through MTN Momo deposits and yet the Authority only managed to spend Shs143m.
Shs40m was unutilized under the Internship Training allowances project under the Directorate of Public Health & Environment. Under the ENABEL project, Shs485m was availed yet the absorption rate stood at 0% as at 31st May. Under CDC, Shs230m was availed to KCCA as a grant yet the whole of it remained unspent.
Under African Smart Cities Network project, the Authority failed to utilize Shs76m. Under the Urban Refuge HILTON project, the City Authority failed to spend Shs880m. Under the Results-Based Financing (RBF) intervention, significant money was availed yet only 5% was spent.
Under the Child Protection Project, Shs142m was availed yet the Authority only managed to utilize 43% of that. Under the Air Quality project, Shs120m was available yet Buzeki only managed to utilize 6% of that. Under the UWEP and YLP arrangements, only 14% of the availed funds was utilized.
Yet that isn’t all. Under the NPA arrangement, Shs1.2bn was availed to KCCA and yet as at 31st May, Buzeki had only utilized 20%. Under Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS), there was failure to spend up to Shs1,194,731,304!
Under the Program on Integrated Local Finance & Sustainable Development (PIFUD), a total of Shs482m was availed of which Shs93m remained unutilized as at 31st May.
Under the Girls Empowerment Girls (GEG), Shs2.2bn was availed to KCCA and the leadership at City Hall failed to spend more than Shs120m of it. Poor utilization of funds was also registered under the Street Children project. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
