Lands ministry on the spot over unpaid staff salaries
Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba speaks during her visit to Bushenyi Village, Rugando Sub-county in Rwampara District on July 7, 2023. PHOTO/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The 108 workers include IT officers, assistant IT officers, dispatch clerks, drivers, records officers, assistant records officers, and communication officers
A section of staff at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, say they have gone three months without being paid salary.
The 108 workers include IT officers, assistant IT officers, dispatch clerks, drivers, records officers, assistant records officers, and communication officers. The affected workers’ salaries fall under U4, U5 and U8 scales per the Public Service ministry.
IT officers earn Shs4m and their assistants, earn Shs2m because they are classified as scientists while the rest of the workers earn between Shs180, 000 and Shs1.2m. We couldn’t fully determine the total amount being demanded.
However, staff said only two of 26 assistant officers are earning a salary.
In an October 16 hand-written petition, the workers told MPs that “we reached a decision to petition your office after exploring all means at our disposal to get an explanation...As we speak, our landlords are threatening to throw us out of houses.”
Mr Charles Bakkabulindi, a workers’ MP, yesterday said he has not received the petition. He, however, promised to follow up on the matter.
Mr Denis Obbo, the Lands ministry spokesperson, yesterday admitted that some staff have not been paid for three months. “We started transitioning from the previous payment system to the new human capital system where the process is decentralised, but in the process of transitioning we got some system failure and this affected some staff... We have just had a meeting with the Public Service ministry and ..all staff shall be paid in a few days from now” he said.
