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Sports is getting a big share of the national budget.
In the year 2023/24, NCS received Shs48.9b from the government but the money will grow starting July 1 to Shs282.95bn.
The National Council of Sports (NCS) is now set to receive at least 5.7 times more than the money they have been receiving from the government over the last financial year.
In the year 2023/24, NCS received Shs48.9b from the government but the money will grow starting July 1 to Shs282.95bn.
Money for wages at Council has grown from Shs1.61b to Shs3.01b but that was expected with the new Sports Act 2023 establishing new roles for the human resource at the body.
stiill on the same
Shs176.09b has been allocated for the non wage recurrent expenditures which could include but is not limited to subvention for federations.
The general secretary NCS Bernard Patrick Ogwel, has made it known to all and sundry that some federations are primed for an increase in funding and it seems likely as this part of the allocation has grown from Shs45.79b from the 2023/24 Budget.
But he also intimated to this paper before that government’s support towards major games like the Olympics was set to increase.
In fact, NCS also wants to support clubs that have qualified to represent the nation at major continental competitions.
The allocations in the Budget speech made by Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Matia Kasaija, at Kololo Independence Grounds last Thursday include Shs103.85 for domestic development. That provision has grown more than 100 percent from Shs1.5b but is likely to be eaten up solely by the development of stadia and training grounds for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations that Uganda is set to host with Kenya and Tanzania.
“Madam Speaker, apart from the Shs 287.6 billion that I have directly provided to the tourism sector, an additional Shs 1.629 trillion has been provided for several critical interventions associated with tourism including support to Uganda Wildlife Authority, construction of tourism roads, road rehabilitation and upgrade under Kampala Capital City Authority, support to AFCON 27 and completion of key stadia, strengthening security, law and order in our tourism destinations, and extension of the internet to tourism destinations, among others,” Kasaija said in his speech to Parliament.
In Kenya, the Budget for Sports has grown from Kshs6.4b (about Shs183.5b) last year to Ksh16.5b (about Shs473.3) as they look to construct a new Talanta Hela Stadium plus renovate Nyayo and Moi Kasarani International Stadiums. They are also looking at hugely backing; their Paris 2024 Olympic team, the 2025 World Rally Championship Safari Rally and preparations for the World Athletics Champions due in Tokyo next year.
Tanzania has also allocated TZShs286b (about Shs405b) with their main priorities being the construction of a new stadium in Arusha and repairing the one in Dar-es-Salaam.