Judges protest new salary payment date

Judicial officers are protesting the move by the Judiciary’s accounting officer to have their salaries paid at the end of the month as opposed to the old practice of mid-month.
Last week, the Judiciary’s accounting officer, Mr Pius Bigirimana, wrote to all judicial officers, notifying them of how it has been illegal for them to be paid salary mid-month and that the same must stop in the new financial year.

Justice Taddeo Asiimwe, the president of Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA), a body that is concerned about the welfare of all judges and magistrates in the country, said Mr Bigirimana’s communication should not be in isolation with the top management.

“It’s not okay when you have been used to a practice and the same is abruptly changed.  There is no way you can be okay. We hope it’s not going to be implemented immediately. We expect him (Bigirimana) to give us like three months to prepare. Otherwise, if implemented with immediate effect, this will shock people who have loan obligations,” Mr Asiimwe said on Monday.
He added: “We don’t know whether this communication arose after consultation with other top management members, otherwise those who have been enjoying salaries mid-month are not happy.”

Mr Bigirimana’s memo dated July 1 indicates that going forward, all judicial officers will be getting their monthly wages at the end of the month.
 “The Ministry of Public Service issued a circular to all government entities that all workers’ salaries should be processed by the 28th day of every month. This circular is also consistent with the standing orders.” The memo read in part.

“There has been a practice of paying salaries before 15th of every month. I would like to inform you (judges) that this is irregular. While this irregularity has been going on, some individuals had thought that it was a right. I would, therefore, like to clarify that payments can only be regarded late after the 28th of the month,” he added.
Also in his communication, Mr Bigirimana, warned judicial officers to desist from speaking to the press, explaining that it’s only the chief registrar and the designated communication officers who are mandated to do so.

“All members of staff shall not, without express permission from the responsible officer, be the editor of any newspaper or take part directly or indirectly in its management except in the proper course of his or her duties and with specific authority of the responsible officer, make communication to the press on government policy or business,” he warned.
Earlier this year, towards the end of the handling of the presidential election petition that had been filed by the runner up of the January presidential polls,  Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, Supreme Court judge Esther Kisaakye addressed the press at the court’s gate after she claimed she was frustrated by  Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo.

Justice Kisaakye accused the Chief Justice of confiscating her minority ruling that she was due to read out to the litigants.
She also accused the head of the Judiciary of ordering the switching off of power and removal of communication gadgets from the tent that was being used as a courtroom during the poll hearing.

Likewise, all judicial officers have been cautioned against soliciting bribes, late reporting to work, and asked to  serve all court users with fairness, no altering or removing public records and avoiding disbursing funds on individual bank accounts except personal allowances.