POLITICS

Parliament Speaks Out On MPs Shs6M Salary Increment

Published

5 years ago

February 24, 2018

Grapevine

Information is flowing in around parliament that starting July 2018, MPs in the 10th Parliament are expected to receive a salary increment of Shs6M each if the proposal in the 2018/2019 National budget is approved.

The salary proposal is said to have been contained in a budget circular call that was issued on 22nd 2018 Keith Muhakanizi, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance addressed to all accounting officers, the lawmakers will get an additional Shs6Million.

According to information from the Finance Ministry, the decision was finalized following the approval of Parliament Commission’s budget proposals.

If the proposal is to be taken up by the Executive, tax payers will have to dig deeper in their pockets to foot the additional Shs2.6Billion to meet this wage increment.

Parliament Speaks Out

When contacted, Chris Obore, the Director Communications and Public Affairs, rubbished the reports terming them as fake news intended to malign MPs.

He explained: “I think it is becoming ridiculous to keep heaping falsehoods on MPs and their emoluments. The story of the increment is meant to think that these people want money, the same reason cycle opinion about MPs totally false, and in Trump language-Fake News!”

Obore said that MPs salary is a statutory matter and noted that President Yoweri Museveni is on record stopping salary increment for all public servants, and wondered how anybody would increase salaries at this time.

“It hasn’t happened. Anybody who has seen that budget circular call paper, let them publish it. It has never even been discussed. We know how people play the game and MPs have become a punching bag. Even when big money is going elsewhere, the MPs are made the punching bags. What I know MPs right now are asking Government to put money where it should go,” Obore added.

He blamed the reports on accounting officers who appear before Parliament for accountability grilling saying, “I think some people are finding it hard to answer questions from MPs, they are now finding it easy through a counter argument that they have increased salaries.”

MPs’ Entitlement Package

The 10th Parliament that boasts of 451 MPs with each earning a basic salary of Shs11.18m after taxes. The legislators take home a stream of allowances, making a total pay package of about Shs25 million.

The package of allowances includes; Shs4.5m that is paid as town running allowance (Shs1M), gratuity (Shs1M) and medical allowance (Shs 500,000).

For each Committee sitting, the MP is paid (Shs 50,000) while plenary sitting allowance accounts for Shs150,000, as well as travels abroad $520per day (Shs1.75 million) while inland travel, sees each MP get Shs150,000 per night/day.

Not forgetting the car grant that is got once at the start of each Parliament of Shs120M and Ipad at Shs2M.

Additionally, each legislator walks away with Shs4.5 million as constituency facilitation (Shs3.2 million), lunch and tea Shs3 million.

Global MPs Pay

In September 2013 the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a body that brings together all Parliaments in the world, exposed enormous gaps in the salaries earned by MPs in the union.

Regionally, Kenyan MPs walk away with the highest package, with their Ugandan counterparts coming in second, Tanzanian MP earning USD7,266 and Rwanda USD1,271, while Africa’s top economy Nigeria pays its MPs USD15,800 and is followed on closely by South Africa USD16,243.

The size of Uganda’s Parliament has always been a topic of discussion, a subject critics picked up when comparing the salary where they pointed out that Kenya has a GDP of USD60 billion, Tanzania USD48bn, South Africa $350bn and Nigeria $568bn, while Uganda’s GDP is just $26bn.

On the global scene, UAS law makers earn highest USA ($14,500), Brazil ($13,133), Norway ($11,500), Britain ($8,783), Germany $9,958 Sweden ($8,275), France ($7,158), and Spain MPs walk away with ($3,658).

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POLITICS

Parliament Commemorates Late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah

Published

1 week ago

March 23, 2023

Grapevine Uganda News

Parliament held a special plenary on March 23rd to commemorate the life of fallen speaker emeritus Jacob Oulanyah.

Parliament set aside March 23rd (Oulanyah’s birthday) as a day to remember his life and service to parliament and Uganda at large.

During plenary, minister of ICT Chris Baryomunsi said the late speaker was eloquent, punctual, smart, intelligent and was always there for others.

Minister of health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng also acknowledged that Oulanyah was significant in the growth of Uganda’s health sector. Aceng said the late speaker would spare time and explain to people health issues.

Hon. Lillian Aber (Woman MP Kitgum) said Oulanyah would do the right and was an inspiration. Aber added that Oulanyah always wanted to see each system effective.

Hon Ssemujju Nganda spoke of the late as a very selfless man that always settled disputes with every one.

“I want to thank the late Jacob Oulanyah even when you had trouble with him, he took it upon himself to reach out to you to resolve the matter,” he said.

Speaker Jacob Oulanyah died on March 20th last year and was replaced by Anita Among. Oulanyah served as deputy speaker twice before being voted as speaker of Parliament.

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POLITICS

Commonwealth Lawyers Caution M7 On Dismissal Of Justice Kisakye

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2023

Grapevine Uganda News

Lawyers under the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) have protested the removal of Justice Esther Kisakye from office.

In a written statement by the association, the Commonwealth Lawyers have called upon president Museveni to carefully consider the implications of Justice Kisakye’s dismissal.

The lawyers say that judges should only be subjected to suspension only when they are incapable or if they misbehave.

“Judges should be subject to suspension or removal only for reasons of incapacity or misbehaviour that clearly renders them unfit to discharge their duties,” part of the statement reads.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) last month recommended the removal of Justice Esther Kisakye from office and have her probed over her misconduct and attack on chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo.

Justice Kisakye’s troubles began following the 2021 election petition by National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi in which she gave a dissenting opinion from other judges.

Justice Kisakye in her ruling said Kyagulanyi had not been given enough time to present his case.

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POLITICS

Karamoja Iron Sheets Scandal: Speaker Among Returns 500 Iron Sheets

Published

3 weeks ago

March 15, 2023

Grapevine Uganda News

Speaker of parliament Anita Among has revealed that she has bought 500 iron sheets to compesate those meant for the vulnerable in Karamoja that were misallocated by the minister of Karamoja affairs Hon. Goretti Kitutu.

Among told parliament on March 15th that she bought the iron sheets because she does not want to be accused of grabbing iron sheets that were meant for the vulnerable in Karamoja.

Speaker Anita Among is among the government officials who were cited in the Karamoja iron sheet scandal. Among is reported to have received 500 pieces of iron sheets. However, Among claimed she did not request for the iron sheets but admitted that she saw them in her district Bukedea.

Other government officials that received the iron sheets include vice president Jessica Alupo, minister Rose Akello, Agnes Nandutu, prime minister Robinah Nabbanja, minister Amos Lugolobi, finance minister Matia Kasaija, Minister Maria Goretti Kitutu, government chief whip Denis Obua among others.

The Karamoja iron sheet scandal sparked off when family members of minister Goretti Kitutu were found in possession of iron sheets meant for the vulnerable in Karamoja region. Minister Kitutu told the committee on presidential affairs, during the probe, that she was not guided thus misallocating relief items meant for Karamoja.