Cabinet has backed a proposal by Kampala minister Beti Kamya to increase the salaries of city political leaders.
If the proposal is implemented, all city leaders will have a 30% salary increment starting next financial year.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday afternoon at Uganda Media Centre, Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze explained that the proposal was cleared by Cabinet so that city leaders are involved in mobilizing local revenue.
“These leaders will help KCCA to generate more revenue since part of the funds collected, will be paid to them,” Mr Tumwebaze argued.
Currently, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago earns Shs11m, division mayors Shs9m, and the councillors pocket Shs3m.
With the 30% salary increment, Lukwago will be earning about Shs15m, division mayors to take Shs10m and councilors Shs3.9m
Musisi disagrees
KCCA technical team led by the executive director Jennifer Musisi blocked the move to increase the salaries, saying the authority didn’t have funds to cater for such huge bills.
Kamya however indicated to Musisi some untapped revenue sources, where revenue can be generated from.
Efforts to speak to Lukwago to respond to the Cabinet position were futile. He told this reporter that he was at the rally in Rukungiri district.
But recently Lukwago told PML Daily that Kamya was pushing for salary increment with the intention of compromising the leaders.
“And I don’t want to engage in salary talk because Kamya knows that our treasury doesn’t haveenough funds to pay the increment. But she is busy fighting to compromise councilors and division mayors, through promising them increments,” Lukwago argued.
Section 77, of the KCCA Act, empowers the Kampala Minister to determine the salaries of political leaders with consultation with the Public Service and Finance ministries.
Nakawa division councillor Kennedy Okello explained that the local revenue collected has been increasing since 2011 from Shs50b to Shs110b.
