The government through the Ministry of Gender has submitted a request for a supplementary budget of Shs. 2Billion to facilitate the renovation Gaddafi National Mosque at Old Kampala.
The details of the request are entailed in the Shs 3.5 trillion supplementary budget that was laid before Parliament by Henry Musasizi, Minister of State For Finance.
The government is seeking Parliamentary approval of Shs1.574Trn spent within the 3% legal limit before Parliamentary approval and Shs1.926Trn before approval of Parliament.
It was unclear when the renovation plans for the national mosque were hatched, but it is currently among the properties on the brink of auction following the failure of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) to pay off a Shs. 19billion debt.
On Wednesday last week, the UMSC lost a constitutional court appeal to block businessman Justus Kyabahwa from selling off eight prime properties including the mosque.
Kyabahwa reportedly bought a piece of land from UMSC in Sembabule district, at Shs. 3.5billion.
However, it turned out that the land had an existing 15-year lease title on it.
With UMSC unable to repay the money, the amount has since accumulated with interest to Shs 19 billion.
Meanwhile, in the supplementary budget, the Government has proposed to spend Shs. 24.883 billion to revamp Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), while Uganda Prisons is seeking Shs. 79.471 billion to feed inmates across the various prisons in the country.
State House is also seeking for Shs. 100 billion for classified expenditure, while the Ministry of Defence is seeking Parliament’s approval to spend Shs. 1 billion for the construction of the Military Museum, and the Ministry of Public Service wants Shs. 12.098 billion for the payment of arrears for money lenders association.
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