Rubanda District Budget Conference Puts Citizens at the Heart of Planning

Citizens’ voices took center stage at the Rubanda District Budget Conference, held at Volcano Hotel on 19th November, 2024, as stakeholders gathered to shape the district’s spending priorities for the 2025/26 financial year.

Organized to present the proposed budget strategy, share planning figures, and provide a platform for citizen participation, the conference brought together government officials, civil society actors, and citizen representatives. LUSUDI was represented by one member from the Participatory Budget Club (PBC) and another from a Civil Society Organization (CSO), reinforcing its commitment to ensuring grassroots input in local government planning.

The meeting sparked candid discussions on public finance management reforms and the challenges affecting budget implementation and service delivery in Rubanda. The collective goal was clear  to ensure the district budget truly reflects the needs and priorities of the community.

In one of the most memorable moments, Mr. Korugyendo Wilberforce, the District Planner for Rubanda, praised the role of budget advocacy in transforming governance. “I commend the great work of CSBAG and LUSUDI in budget advocacy. We are seeing more people mobilized and actively involved in budget processes at the sub-county level,” he said. “Budget conferences should always be open to all citizens, it is a fundamental right for every Ugandan to participate in planning and budgeting.”

The conference concluded with the development of a district-level position paper, capturing the citizens’ priorities and recommendations. This document will be integrated into the budgeting process for the FY 2025/26, ensuring that community perspectives influence how resources are allocated.

LUSUDI’s Executive Director, Byamukama Simon, described the event as “a significant milestone in empowering communities to directly shape the policies and budgets that affect their lives.”

With such platforms, Rubanda District continues to take steps towards transparent, inclusive, and accountable governance, ensuring that budget decisions are not made in isolation from the people they are meant to serve