By 
The WASH Forum has raised concern that despite an increase in the 2026 budget allocation to the water and sanitation sector, the broader share of the national budget had slipped to 1.06 percent, down from 1.13 percent in 2025.
Government, under the 2026 National Budget, had allocated K2.69 billion to the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation (Head 52), reflecting a nominal 9.4 percent rise over 2025.
During a media briefing in Lusaka recently, the group’s Coordinator, Bubala Mumba said the allocation remained far below the 8th National Development Plan’s (8NDP) benchmark of 3.5 percent annual investment.
Following a consensus at a two-day 2026 Post-Budget Analysis Workshop at Lusaka Legacy Hotel, Mumba cautioned that the persistent shortfall, coupled with over-reliance on external financing, left what stakeholders increasingly see as an “undesired trajectory” for achieving universal access by 2030.
She emphasised that the concerns must be anchored in a human rights framework, stressing that safe drinking water and sanitation were fundamental rights recognised in Zambia’s national policy and international law.
“Failure to adequately invest in equitable WASH services undermines the state’s obligation to progressively realise these rights for all, especially for the rural and urban poor,” Mumba warned.
She added that a rights-based approach required sector strategies, resource allocations, and policy reforms that prioritise dignity, equality, and inclusion—ensuring no one was left behind and eliminating discrimination in access.
Mumba outlined several critical recommendations to reposition the sector, including establishing a robust monitoring and evaluation system to improve budget coherence, financial tracking, and evidence-based policy.
Read More: Zambia to spend K253.1 billion in 2026. Who got what? See budget breakdown
“There is need to safeguard the financial sustainability of Commercial Utilities (CUs) through a package of interventions: enforcing cost-reflective tariffs, rapid government debt repayment, timely and unconditional fund disbursement, and a national strategy to fortify CUs as they expand their mandate,” she said.
She further called for sanitation to be treated as both a public health and human rights priority, with an increased budgetary share, a stronger focus on non-sewered systems serving 85 percent of Zambians, integration with health and rights strategies, and stricter oversight.
Among other recommendations, Mumba urged a shift from capital investment bias to recurrent spending on maintenance and efficiency, underpinned by a life-cycle costing approach to maximise durability and equity of infrastructure.
“We also need to have a gender-responsive budgeting, with new systems for tracking allocations to ensure that investments close gender gaps and effectively address the needs of women and girls, who bear a disproportionate burden from poor WASH services,” she said.
Mumba stated that such changes were crucial to restoring sector sustainability, upholding Zambia’s national and international human rights obligations, accelerating progress towards universal access.
Similary, the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has expressed concern over the reduction in the 2026 national budget allocation to the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR), warning that the cut comes at a time when Zambia faces increasing climate-induced food insecurity.
In the 2026 national budget, the SFR has been allocated K2.10 billion, down from K2.37 billion in 2025.
CSPR Executive Director, Isabel Mukelabai, raised the concern when she appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources on Friday to present submissions on Head 89: Ministry of Agriculture and Head 86: Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Mukelabai told the Committee that the worsening effects of climate change required a more resilient national grain stockpile.
“A decline in funding for the Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) may limit the government’s capacity to purchase surplus grain from farmers, stabilize food prices, and respond to emergencies such as droughts and floods,” Mukelabai warned.
She added that the reduction in allocation raises questions about how well Zambia is positioned to maintain food security amid growing environmental and economic volatility.
Mukelabai noted that in the 2026 budget, the agriculture sector received a total allocation of K13.22 billion, representing a marginal decrease of about 0.3 percent from the K13.5 billion allocated in 2025.
The Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) has been allocated K9.15 billion, slightly lower than K9.27 billion in 2025.
“Zambia’s 2026 agriculture and livestock budget reflects a continued policy focus on supporting smallholder farmers through input subsidies and improving animal health services,” she said.
However, Mukelabai argued that while the allocations have merit, they fall short of the strategic investment required to transform the sector into a resilient, productive, and market-driven pillar of economic growth.
She emphasized the need for a more balanced and forward-looking budget, one that transitions from recurrent subsidies toward sustainable development investments.
“With the right adjustments, Zambia can achieve its national development targets and fulfill its regional and global commitments to sustainable agricultural growth,” Mukelabai stated.
On a positive note, she welcomed the increased funding to Animal Health Services, managed under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, which received K764.71 million in 2026 — a significant rise from K498.82 million in 2024.
“Enhanced funding for animal disease surveillance and control, particularly for conditions such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), is a step in the right direction,” Mukelabai said.
She added that this investment could pave the way for improved animal health outcomes and greater participation in regional and international livestock trade.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments