Kabale University Strengthens Financial Management Through Capacity-Building Training on Budget Preparation and Accountability

Kabale University has reaffirmed its commitment to sound financial management, transparency, and institutional accountability through a comprehensive capacity-building training on Budget Preparation, Execution, Reporting, and Accountability organized by the University’s Planning Unit.

The training, held on 10th July 2026 at the University’s New Computer Laboratory, brought together members of staff from various departments to enhance their knowledge and skills in strategic budgeting, public financial management, and effective resource utilization.

The session was facilitated by Lydia Kobusinge, Senior Economist in the Budget Policy and Evaluation Department at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), who emphasized the critical role of strategic budgeting in achieving institutional goals.

Addressing participants, Ms. Kobusinge explained that an effective departmental budget must be strategic, realistic, comprehensive, prioritized, transparent, accountable, and provide value for money.

“A budget sets our priorities. It answers what we are going to do and why,” she noted.

She guided participants through the essential components of a departmental budget, including expected revenues, planned outputs, activities, required inputs, implementation costs, and quarterly timelines. She further highlighted the importance of developing work plans that are aligned with institutional objectives while remaining within approved funding ceilings.

Ms. Kobusinge cautioned against common budgeting mistakes such as duplicating previous budgets without review, inaccurate cost estimations, omission of key activities, poor prioritization, incorrect chart-of-accounts coding, and weak alignment between activities and expected outputs. She encouraged departments to strengthen internal quality assurance processes, validate costs, review work plans thoroughly, and commence planning early to improve the quality of budget submissions.

She also provided guidance on quarterly reporting requirements, emphasizing that while departments can revise activities planned for future quarters during the reporting process, previously reported quarters cannot be altered. She urged staff to ensure proper sequencing of interconnected projects to avoid unnecessary costs and duplication of work.

Speaking during the training, Mr. Barigye Benson, Deputy Chief Internal Auditor, underscored the importance of compliance with financial regulations and accountability procedures. He encouraged staff to carefully review agreements and eligibility requirements before implementing activities and reminded accounting officers of their responsibility to safeguard public resources.

Mr. Benson further advised staff to obtain prior authorization before using personal funds for official activities, maintain complete financial records, follow established procedures, and uphold integrity in all financial transactions.

The University Bursar, Mr. Gad Twesigye, emphasized the importance of prioritizing institutional needs during budget implementation. He noted that every quarterly report should reflect the University’s strategic priorities and prudent allocation of resources.

“Our budgeting should focus on areas of greatest institutional need. As Kabale University continues to expand, investments that directly support our growing student population and academic mission should remain our priority,” he said.

The training forms part of Kabale University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen financial governance, improve planning and reporting systems, and promote a culture of accountability across the institution. By equipping staff with practical budgeting and financial management skills, the University continues to enhance operational efficiency and ensure responsible stewardship of public resources in support of its mandate of teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement.

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