KAMPALA – Civil society organizations in Uganda have submitted a comprehensive position paper to the parliamentary committee on Gender, Labor, and Social Development, urging policymakers to prioritize children’s rights in the 2025/2026 budget.
Mitchell Ainebyona, a specialist on public investment in children from Save The Children Organization, presented the paper. He highlighted Uganda’s recent National and Housing Census, which revealed an increase of 11.3 million persons from the 2014 census. Notably, children (0-17 years) and youth (18-30 years) comprise 50.5% and 22.7% of the total population, respectively, totaling 73.2%. This makes Uganda one of the youngest populations globally.
Ainebyona emphasized that policymakers must consider this demographic when planning and budgeting for the country’s medium to long-term development. He cited the 2024 multidimensional child poverty report, which reveals alarming statistics:
Seven in ten children lack age-appropriate books at home, over 40% do not receive three meals a day, and one in three children cannot access healthcare. Additionally, three in ten children lack essential toiletries. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, with almost a third of young children stunted.
Despite these challenges, the National Child Policy (2020) demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring the well-being of all children. However, public financial management challenges hinder progress.
The education sector faces significant challenges, including inadequate school inspection and monitoring systems, insufficient budget allocation for the Directorate of Education Standards, and inadequate resources for assessing the new lower secondary school curriculum.
According to the World Bank’s human capital index, a child born in Uganda today will be 38% as productive when they grow up as they could be if they enjoyed complete education and full health. Uganda has the potential to realize a demographic dividend by expanding education opportunities at the earliest opportunity.
Damon Wamara, Executive Director of Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN), emphasized the urgent need to prioritize children’s well-being in Uganda’s FY2025/26 budget noting that with 73.2% of the population comprising children and youth, their development is crucial for the country’s future.
“We are deeply committed to ensuring that the needs of children are prioritized in the upcoming budget,” Wamara said. “I extend my sincere appreciation to child-focused civil society organizations that collaborated with UCRNN in developing this position paper, including Children at Risk Action Network, World Vision, Afri-Child Centre, and Save the Children.”
He re-echoed that the existing statistics underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions and increased funding in key sectors.
Despite the projected increase in the FY2024/25 budget, Wamara says allocations for the Youth and Children department have remained stagnant at UGX 10.9 billion. “This downward trend in funding must be reversed to ensure children receive necessary support.”
While the government has made strides in human capital development, including improvements in healthcare and educational infrastructure, more needs to be done. UCRNN calls upon policymakers to consider recommendations aimed at addressing critical issues in health, education, and child protection.
The organizations recommend:
Increasing budget allocation for children’s affairs to address critical issues in health, education, and child protection.
Strengthening education inspection and monitoring systems to enforce education standards and support quality education delivery.
Addressing inadequate resources for assessing the new curriculum, including retooling examiners and training teachers.
Enhancing financing for education in emergencies and host communities, particularly for refugee children.
Uganda hosts over 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers, exacerbating existing challenges in education infrastructure. The school-age population has more than doubled in some districts, with refugee learners outnumbering host community learners in some schools.
The Ministry of Education and Sports, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, should prioritize resource allocation to address these challenges. This includes repurposing budget lines to support education initiatives, identifying sustainable solutions for the continued operation of schools in refugee-hosting districts, providing additional facilities and resources for the current number of learners, and recruiting additional teachers to meet government standards.
Officiating at the event, Kabahenda Flavia, the Woman MP for Kyegegwa District and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection, strongly believed that it’s crucial for the Ministry of Finance to prioritize children’s needs in the 2025/2026 national budget.
“Unfortunately, children are often overlooked because they don’t vote, but they are the future of our nation.”
She explained that education system in Uganda is marred by inequality, divided along socioeconomic lines.
“Education has become a luxury that many cannot afford, exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor. To bridge this gap, we must ensure equality in education, making it accessible to all, regardless of financial status.”
Kabahenda also decried COVID-19 pandemic effects which left deep scars, particularly on girls where many suffered unwanted pregnancies, and “it’s our responsibility as a nation to create opportunities for these young mothers to return to school and care for their children.”
“We must recognize the importance of education in empowering future generations. By investing in our children and ensuring equal access to quality education, we can build a brighter future for Uganda.”
This vision aligns with UNESCO’s emphasis on equitable and inclusive quality education. Uganda has made progress in promoting girls’ education, but challenges persist, including stereotypes and biases that affect girls’ participation in school leadership and STEM subjects. Addressing these issues is critical to achieving gender equality in education.
James Kubeketerya, the Bunya County East MP and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and SSports said “I’m pleased to say that the ideas presented in the position paper are truly enriching. One key area of concern is the Uganda National Examinations Board budget, which faces a shortfall of shs6.5 billion in line with the new lower secondary school curriculum. We fully support addressing this gap, as it’s crucial for our children’s education.”
He noted that given the new curriculum and the Ministry of Education’s struggles with budget cuts, it’s essential that they ring-fence children’s education. “As stakeholders, we must collaborate to overcome this challenge.”
On the pressing issue of limited inspectors to implement the new curriculum effectively, he pledged to urge the government to deploy more personnel to address this shortage.
