KAMPALA – Frustrated election officials in Kampala together with their colleagues in the up country are planning a strike over non payment of their allowance.
PML Daily has learnt that officials who carried out elections of Special Interest Groups, youth, persons with disabilities, women and elderly from village, parish sub country, city and district levels have not got any money.
Each level of elections under SIGs had a presiding officer, two polling assistants and a police constable entitled to Ug Shs50000 and Shs 40000 per day. The Electoral Commission conducted elections in over 68,000 villages across the country in August and September but up to date, EC has reportedly failed to clear the outstanding allowances.
Early this week, EC started nominationns for local councils in the entire country. The visible challenge was failing to observe the COVID-19 guidelines by the ministry of health.
Much as the EC is agitating for standard operating procedure (SOPs) in the electoral process, items like soap and water were all not at the election points with no emphasis of masks neither social distancing has been observed.
This is eminent during SIGs elections and is the case now as nominations continue across the country.
EC Spokesman, Paul Bukenya told our reporter in an interview that they have not refused to pay the officials as they allege, except for some cases but majority received their allowances through mobile money.
