Why MUASA Wants National Budget Debated in Lecture Halls, Not Just Parliament

What the report says

Nile Post reports that the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) has launched its first National Budget Breakfast Meeting, framing it as an effort to return Makerere University to a more active role in Uganda’s public policy debate. The meeting examined the 2026/27 national budget, which the article says was presented by the finance minister on June 11, but the discussion also focused on whether universities should do more to scrutinize national priorities beyond Parliament and formal government spaces.

MUASA Chairperson Dr Jude Ssempebwa said the forum was intended to assess the budget against Uganda’s National Development Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals and international comparisons. According to the report, he argued that academic staff can offer nonpartisan, evidence-based analysis on public finance and other national issues. He also raised concern that the budget did not include salary enhancement funds for some academic ranks, including senior lecturers, lecturers and assistant lecturers.

Makerere Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe welcomed the initiative, saying it reflected a revival of the university’s historical role as a centre of national debate. He linked the earlier decline in such engagement to staff welfare and structural challenges, while urging government to make greater use of Makerere’s research capacity. Nawangwe also renewed calls for approval of the university’s revised staffing structure, saying promotion constraints limit the use of qualified academics.

The report says Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Prof Augustus Nuwagaba, in remarks delivered by Andrew Philip Wabulya, urged budget planners to account for Uganda’s youthful population, climate change, geopolitical pressures and technological change. The broader significance is that MUASA wants academic expertise to help shape budget choices, public investment and future policy debates.