Public Service to pay sh400m to Wacha's family

The Ministry of Public Service has revealed to New Vision that Joel Hunter Wacha-Olwol's family will received sh400 million in allowances allocated to him by a Parliamentary resolution in March 2017.

This follows President Yoweri Museveni's directive early this month in Lira during Wacha-Olwol's burial, ordering the ministry to pay all Wacha's entitlements to his family.

In March, Parliament passed a resolution instructing public service to pay shs1.2 billion to the former presidential commissioners as emoluments and benefits for occupying the office of the presidency.

Permanent secretary, Catherine Bitarakwate, told New Vision, each of the three former presidential commissioners was to receive sh400m as per the resolution.

She added that the ministry is willing to pay the money to legal beneficiaries as long as a supplementary budget is approved by the respective authorities.

Wacha-Olwol alongside Justices Saulo Musoke and Polycarp Nyamuchoncho led the interim presidential commission for seven months before President Milton Obote on December 20, 1980 for his second term.

Bitarakwate explained sh400m is neither pension arrears nor presidential benefits but allowances that were awarded to Wacha following the parliamentary resolution.

"The money was not accounted for in this financial year since it was passed in March by parliamentary resolution but we will pay the legal beneficiary as soon as we get the supplementary budget." The permanent secretary said.

Justices Musoke and Nyamuchoncho will not get their share since at the time of the resolution they were deceased and the law only accounts for a living beneficiary.

"Wacha's family will receive his shs400 million because the beneficiary was still alive at the time when the Parliamentary resolution was passed." Bitarakwate explained.

2010 Presidential Directive

Similarly, in 2010 President Yoweri Museveni passed a directive to the Public Service Ministry to pay ex-leaders that were not captured by the 1995 constitutional amendments on benefits.

According to the presidential directive, all former Presidents were awarded sh1billion, sh400 million to vice presidents, sh350 to Prime Minister and Speakers as well as sh300m for the Deputy Speakers.

As a result, Wacha received sh330m of sh1b since at his time as the presidential commissioner, the office was share by two other individuals.

Ex-Presidential Benefits

Section 2 of the emoluments and benefits of the Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Minister Act 2010 on salary, allowances and other benefits of the ex-presidents says; "The President shall be paid the salary and allowances and shall be afforded the other benefits specified in relation to the Office of President in the Second Schedule to this Act."

The benefits include, a 60 percent allowance of the salary of that President's last salary, fully-furnished house and in case of furniture, a retired President shall be given shs20m then reduced to sh10m for the procurement of furniture.

Others include Government-paid chauffeur-driven car, sh300,000 monthly pay to cater for medical treatment and sh500,000 meet expenses on utilities like electricity, telephone and water.

Retired presidents are also entitled to four government-paid security guards, transport for security guards, senior personal secretary and two domestic staff

On pension

According to records by Ministry of Public Service seen by New Vision, Wacha-Olwol has been receiving monthly pension of sh791,455 following his retirement in 1972 as the permanent secretary in the Office of the President.

Victor Bua-Leku the assistant commissioner in charge of pension at the Ministry of Public Service explained that he has been a good pensioner who already undergone the verification and validation exercise.

"He has been a regular pensioner receiving his emoluments including his gratuity since his retirement, and we have fulfilled our obligations. We even arranged for his burial courtesy of the Ministry of Public Service for the services delivered to this country." Leku said.

Background

On May 2, Wacha-Olwol died at Kadic Hospital in Kampala aged 93 and is survived by 12 children.

He was born in November 1923 in Loro Sub County in Oyam district to Erieza Olwol and Cakaya Akulo.

He later relocated to Amac in Lira district where he was buried last week.