The Government of Uganda will no longer finance large scale public holiday celebrations starting in the 2026/27 financial year, in a major cost-cutting shift aimed at redirecting billions of shillings into priority economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism, industrialization, and innovation.

The announcement was made by the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, who said government will cut spending on events like Independence Day, Labour Day, Heroes Day and International Women’s Day as part of efforts to tighten fiscal discipline and reduce non-essential expenditure.

Instead of holding costly national ceremonies across the country, President Yoweri Museveni will in future address the nation on public holidays through radio and television broadcasts from State House.

On his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Ggoobi said:
“Effective next financial year, government will not spend money on organizing public functions for public holidays. The resources will instead be directed towards financing our development priorities.”

According to government estimates, about UGX 500 million is spent on each major national celebration, with total annual costs running into billions of shillings when all public holidays are considered.

Officials say the savings will be redirected to the ATMS strategy Agro-Industrialisation, Tourism Development, Mineral-Based Industrialization, and Science, Technology and Innovation alongside infrastructure and other growth-enabling sectors.

Economists have previously argued that reducing ceremonial spending could improve fiscal efficiency, boost job creation, increase exports, and expand government revenue if redirected into productive investment.

Supporters of the policy say national holidays can still be observed through media broadcasts and community level events without heavy public expenditure, describing the move as a step toward responsible use of taxpayers’ money.