Kampala – The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has attributed a shortfall in its revenue collections to disruptions caused by the 2026 elections, revealing that it collected UGX 16.476 trillion between July and December 2025, falling short of the projected UGX 17.5 trillion target.
The disclosure was made by Denis Kugonza Kateeba, Commissioner for Domestic Taxes at URA, while presenting the authority’s 2026/27 National Budget Framework Paper before Parliament’s Finance Committee on Wednesday.
Kateeba said the political activities surrounding the elections, including limited business operations, reduced mobility, and delayed compliance activities, had a significant impact on revenue mobilization.
“Election-related disruptions affected business performance across various sectors, which in turn reduced taxable transactions. This contributed to the gap between actual collections and the planned target,” Kateeba told lawmakers.
He added that despite the shortfall, URA had implemented measures to improve compliance and recover revenue in the second half of the fiscal year.
Parliamentary committee members acknowledged the challenges posed by the elections but emphasized the need for URA to strengthen resilience and maintain steady revenue inflows, even during periods of political activity.
URA’s performance comes at a critical time as the government seeks to fund key development projects under the 2026/27 National Budget, making revenue mobilization essential for sustaining public services and infrastructure programs.
