He made the remarks while commissioning facilities at Uganda Petroleum Institute-Kigumba (UPIK) where the country intends to train local experts in oil exploration.

Uganda hopes to start pumping millions of barrels of oil in 2025 from its vast oil reserves, but the president was unimpressed that the training institute was still incomplete due to lack of funds

"Tell the civil servants and the MPs [to] stop travelling abroad. Money being wasted in external travel and yet Kigumba is crying for money," he said, according to a footage by a local outlet.

The president also suggested a freeze on all allowances, according to the Daily Monitor news site.