KAMPALA–A row has erupted at City Hall between the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and some councillors after a committee constituted to probe salaries of political leaders backed a 30% salary increment.
Yesterday the KCCA committee released its report suggesting that political leaders should get their salary increment starting next month. The committee also recommended that the leaders should get their arrears for the last three months starting June.
Currently, the Lord Mayor earns Shs11m, division mayors Shs9m while the councilors pocket Shs3m monthly.
With the 30% pay rise, Lukwago will earn about Shs15m, division mayors Shs10m while councillors will bag Shs3.9m.
Reacting to the new report, Lukwago told PML Daily this morning that Kampala minister Beti Kamya is pushing for salary increment with the intention of compromising the leaders.
“I don’t want to engage in salary talk because Kamya knows that our treasury does not have enough funds to pay the increment. She is only using the salary rise talk to compromise councillors and division mayors,” Lukwago argued.
But Kamya in her communication to KCCA executive directive Jennifer Musisi last month said the funds to meet the salary increment will be collected from untapped local revenue sources.
According to section 77 of the KCCA Act, the Kampala minister has powers to determine the salaries of the political leaders upon consultation with the public service and finance ministries.
Last month, the council headed by Lukwago selected a committee to probe Kamya’s directive on salary rise after Musisi told her that KCCA did not have enough funds to meet the salary demands.
The committee that comprised political leaders and members from the technical wing completed its work within one month.
Both groups backed the salary increment, arguing that they didn’t have the mandate to revise Kamya’s directive but to back it.
Micheal Wamala, one of the members of the committee members, said untapped revenue sources include betting and property rates, which have to be taxed to increase on the tax base.
But Lukwago said his council will soon sit and discuss the report and give advice, adding that the percentage can be changed.
