DODOMA: EAST African Community (EAC) member states on Thursday tabled their national budget estimates for the 2026/27 Fiscal Year (FY), unveiling people-centred and growth-oriented spending plans aimed at accelerating economic transformation and improving livelihoods.
The budgets underscore the commitment of EAC partner states to fostering inclusive economic growth through domestic resource mobilisation, strategic investments and enhanced resilience, with a strong focus on job creation and improved living standards.
Key priorities across the region include industrialisation, digital transformation, expansion of health, transport and energy infrastructure, as well as employment creation. In Tanzania, Minister for Finance, Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar, told the National Assembly in Dodoma that the government plans to spend 62.33tri/- in the 2026/27 FY, up from 56.49tri/- allocated in 2025/26.
The budget seeks to promote economic growth, attract investment and accelerate industrialisation, while enhancing revenue collection to strengthen fiscal sovereignty and improve fiscal discipline. In neighbouring Kenya, the government unveiled a budget of 4.84 trillion Kenyan shillings (over 97tri/-), up from 4.239 trillion Kenyan shillings (about 86tri/-) allocated in the previous fiscal year.
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The Nairobi budget is designed to accelerate economic growth, create jobs, support businesses and improve livelihoods while maintaining fiscal discipline. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Cabinet approved a 2026/27 budget of 7,796.3 billion Rwandan francs (about 14tri/-), representing a 12 per cent increase from the previous year.
The budget prioritises agricultural productivity, industrial development, job creation and macroeconomic stability. Uganda’s budget estimate has risen to 84.39 trillion Ugandan shillings (about 59tri/-), compared to 72.3 trillion Ugandan shillings (about 50tri/-) in the 2025/26 fiscal year. Kampala’s budget is considered historic as it projects direct revenues from oil production, with a strong focus on driving economic growth and industrial development.
It also seeks to fully monetise the economy through commercial agriculture, industrialisation, expansion of services, digital transformation and improved market access. South Sudan has unveiled a draft budget of 11.335 trillion South Sudanese Pounds for the 2026/27 fiscal year.
The budget prioritises economic recovery, stabilisation of public services and youth empowerment as the country continues its development agenda. In Zanzibar, the government has proposed an ambitious budget of 8.217tri/- for 2026/27, up from 6.804tri/- in the current fiscal year.
In a related development, Somalia’s bicameral Federal Parliament approved a national budget of 1.38 billion US dollars (over 3.6tri/-) for the 2026 fiscal year. Unlike other EAC countries, Somalia operates on an annual fiscal calendar rather than a combined 2026/27 budget cycle. Its 2027 budget proposal is expected to be prepared and presented to Parliament later this year.