President Museveni has approved the Appropriation Act, 2024, following parliament's agreement to restore Shs750 billion in the FY2024-25 budget as per his directive, the presidency announced.
"H.E Kaguta Museveni has this evening signed into law the Appropriation Act, 2024(Reconsidered)," stated Senior Presidential Press Secretary Sandor Lyle on X, formerly Twitter.
This legislation specifies the financial allocations for each government ministry, department, and local government.
Among its provisions, the law permits the withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund by government authorities.
Before the bill was revised and reinstated by parliament on Tuesday, President Museveni had refused to sign it, accusing lawmakers of undermining government priorities by reallocating essential funds.
“There are three mistakes involved here. These are indiscipline in budgeting, sabotaging the national priorities and now the suspicion of massive corruption. I am, therefore, writing to request that this practice stops accordingly,” Museveni wrote in a June 22 letter.
He added: "I decline to assent to Appropriation Bill 2024 and return it to Parliament and request that no reshuffling of the Budget should ever happen again without an input of the Executive."
During the reconsideration, parliament accused the Executive of attempting to overstep its authority, a claim Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja refuted.
“I want Members [of Parliament] to appreciate that the President respects this House. That is why he sent back this Bill for reconsideration. If he was not respecting us, he has other options, he can warrant. But he decided to bring it back because he respects this House,” she said.