Government payroll error gifts judicial officers Shs1.6b

Payroll managers at Public Service ministry committed errors when calculating the new pay scale for the country’s 300 judicial officers.

A Daily Monitor investigation into irregular payments in July revealed key details of a “payroll blunder” that has resulted in the loss of more than Shs1.6b

Although Cabinet Minute No. 19 (CT2014) provided about Shs1.1m as the monthly judicial allowances for a chief registrar, government officials in the ministry of Public Service, however, gave him Shs2m each, causing a loss of Shs845,000.

All registrars were entitled to Shs977,100 but were given Shs1.7m, deputy registrars received Shs1.6m instead of 876,000, assistant registrars received Shs735,000 by error and chief magistrates took Shs1.4m yet they were entitled to only Shs747,000.

The ministry of Public Service has since clarified that the error arose out of configuration of the allowances on the payroll as a percentage of the salary at the time of Cabinet approval, which consequently led to an automatic update whenever the salaries were enhanced.

A senior official in the ministry at the weekend said the error was not detected at the time of payment since the judicial officers’ allowances were adjusted using Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS).

IPPS is a computerised human resource management information system that is being implemented in ministries, departments, agencies and local governments. Public Service Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate wrote to her colleague in the Judiciary Pius Bigirimana on August 29 clarifying on the mistake.

“This is to inform you that judicial officers’ allowances have been adjusted on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System in accordance with the rates approved by Cabinet under Minute No. 19 (CT2014),” Ms Bitarakwate wrote.

‘The allowance rates had initially been configured as a percentage of salary on the IPPS at the time of Cabinet approval which subsequently led to an automatic update when the salaries for Judicial Officers were later enhanced,” she added.

Ms Bitarakwate and other officials in Public Service, however, did not discover the error until Mr Bigirimana wrote to Public Service on August 22, seeking details of the “abnormal allowances” for judicial officers.

The debacle came to light after lawyer Male Mabirizi petitioned High Court seeking to block Mr Bigirimana from scrapping the 30 per cent allowance for judicial officials that was approved by Cabinet in 2014. The Judicial Officers pay slips for the month of August do not include the disputed pay.

Mr Godfrey Kaweesa, the president of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA), said they convened a crisis meeting at the weekend and resolved to write to Chief Justice Bart Katureebe about the varied emoluments, among other concerns.

“UJOA will seek legal redress on several irregularities affecting our members and mostly on emoluments. This will be after seven days of service of these resolutions upon our patron (CJ) and the relevant stakeholders,” their letter to reads in part.

The notification to the Chief Justice, according to Mr Elisha Arinaitwe, UJOA general secretary, is today.
They have also requested Mr Bigirimana to give them the documents on “irregular allowances”.

Mr Bigirimana declined to talk about Mr Mabirizi’s petition and UJOA concerns in the press.
He referred Daily Monitor to Articles 164, 175 and 126 (2) of the Constitution before hanging up. They, however, spell out the role of judicial officers and accounting officers.

AFFECTED

Judicial officials July Pay (old) Aug pay(new)
Chief Registrar Shs2m Shs1.1m
Registrar Shs1.7m Shs977,100
Dep Registrar Shs1.6m Shs876,000
Asst Registrar Shs1.5m Shs825000
Chief Mag Shs1.4m Shs747,000
Principal Mag Shs1.0m Shs552,000
Senior Mag G1 Shs800,000 Shs414,000
Mag Grade I Shs680,000 Shs330,000
Sr Mag GII Shs480,000 Shs225,737
Mag Grade II Shs340,000 Shs193,489

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