Uganda's Ministry of Water and Environment is receiving less than 40% of the funding it requires to carry out its work, the ministry's Permanent Secretary told Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. Alfred Okot Okidi said the budget shortfall affects both domestic programmes and externally funded projects that need government contributions. "We probably get not more than 40 percent of what we need, so the budget needs to be stepped up," Okidi told the committee. The underfunding is hampering the ministry's ability to deliver services and implement government projects across the country.
Beyond budget constraints, Okidi identified several other challenges affecting the ministry's operations. Acquiring land and compensating affected communities has proven difficult and time-consuming, with rising compensation costs making the process increasingly difficult and slowing project implementation. Climate change poses a growing threat to water and environmental management, with changing rainfall patterns affecting service delivery. Okodi cited flooding in Kampala and Kasese as examples of extreme weather effects, warning that stronger measures are needed to protect communities and manage water resources.
The ministry also lacks adequate equipment for meteorological services. Okodi said the ministry needs more automated weather stations to improve the accuracy and localisation of forecasts. Without sufficient equipment, the ministry cannot provide district-specific forecasts that would help communities and other sectors prepare for changing weather conditions. Enforcement of environmental protection laws remains weak, particularly in wetlands, riverbanks, lakeshores and forest reserves, due to inadequate staffing levels.
The shortage of personnel extends across key departments responsible for climate change, forestry and wetlands management, limiting the ministry's capacity to implement programmes and enforce environmental regulations. Okodi called for additional environmental rangers to strengthen enforcement across the country and help protect sensitive areas. These staffing gaps in enforcement and technical departments are compounding the challenges created by underfunding and hampering the ministry's overall operational capacity.
For savers and borrowers, the underfunding of water and environmental management poses risks to long-term economic stability and infrastructure investment in Uganda, as water security and climate resilience are essential for sustained growth and financial security.