Gov't explains delayed salaries for civil servants

By Moses Mulondo and Joyce Namutebi

The Public Service Minister Henry Kajura Muganwa explained to parliament on Tuesday that his ministry is no longer responsible for paying salaries to civil servants.

The minister had been tasked by the Serere woman MP Alice Alaso to explain why several civil servants had not received their salaries for March.

“We have reports that many civil servants have not been paid while others have been paid. This is unfair and we need an explanation from government,” Alaso said.

Alaso’s concern was also echoed by the opposition shadow minister for internal affairs Muwanga Kivumbi who said several police officers including those who are attached to parliament had not been paid.

Kajura said, “The responsibility to pay salaries was recently taken over by the finance ministry which sends the money directly to the accounting officers of various institutions. I think it is because of this change that there are still some challenges.”

Asked why some civil servants had not been paid, the secretary to the treasury, Keith Muhakanizi said, “For me I pay depending on the verified payroll submitted by the accounting officers.”

Muhakanizi explained that all employees under the central government had been paid their salaries.

“If there is any problem on nonpayment of salaries, it is the decentralized areas. Last week I published an advert of 36 districts whose payrolls have not been submitted,” he said.

Meanwhile, government on Tuesday informed parliament that it has undertaken the necessary interventions to tame the suspected cholera outbreak in the West Nile districts of Moyo and Adjumani which has so far killed four people.

“We are making arrangements to send their team but already our local teams have responded well. The Moyo, Adjumani and Yumbe hospitals have been helping Obongi health centre IV where the patients are being treated,” Rugunda said.

The minister explained that although the number of patients had reached 81, 11 people had been discharged after recovering.

Rugunda’s statement was in response to the Obongi County MP Kaps Fungaroo who said since the epidemic broke out on Saturday the central government had not yet intervened.

“Obongi’s health centre IV has a capacity of 50 beds and yet the patients have now reached 81. This calls for urgent intervention by government,” Fungaroo stated