PARLIAMENT | POLICE | SALARIES 

KAMPALA - The Uganda Police Force has petitioned Parliament over the poor pay of Police officers whose salaries have remained stagnant for a long time. 

According to the Police, the current pay, especially for low-ranking officers, is not enough to address the hard economic times in the country.

“It is has been long since salaries of Police officers were increased. We have the lowest ranking officer taking home about sh375,000 and I may not break it down in the current economy,” Christine Nanding, the deputy director of legal and human rights, at the Uganda Police, said. 

Nanding who was in company of senior Police officers, including commissioners and directors in Uganda Police, made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with the parliamentary committee on human rights. 

The committee chaired by West Budama North East MP Fox Odoi, is currently, investigating human rights violations by security agencies.

Nanding also told the MPs that the facilities and equipment to run daily operations of the force are still minimal, which she said affects their activities to deliver services. 

She did not give details of the inadequate equipment, noting that some of the information was lacking. 

In response to the remuneration pleas by the Police, the MPs concurred with the entity’s director for human rights, saying just like other public servants, Police officers should be well remunerated, to avoid compromising the country’s security. 

“It is all our wish that our officers are well remunerated. I hear the salaries of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces were (UPDF) were quietly increased. This should cut across to even the prisons so that they are all equal,” Rushenyi County’s Naome Kabasharira said. 

The MPs asked the Police to table before Parliament, the salary wish-list for the Uganda Police officers, ranging from the lowest to the Inspector General of Police. 

Terego District Woman MP Rose Obiga noted that the officers should not complain of poor salary, but, instead, state what they would want to be paid. 

For proper planning, Nanding told the MPs that the Uganda Police would furnish Parliament with a remuneration wish-list for their action. 

She proposed: “If they could handle constable to inspector, then may be in the next phase, we can have from assistant superintendent of Police, depending on what your lobbying skills would guide.” 

According to the Public Service salary structure, a Special Police Constable under grade U8, earns sh375,200 per month. 

Under the same salary structure, a Police Constable under grade U7, earns sh480,322. 

However, the new salary structure, shows an increase in remuneration for Police scientists, where the Assistant Inspector General of Police (sciences) who has been earning sh3.3m, has had their pay increased to sh12.7m per month. 

Salary disparities  

Last week, Parliament protested salary disparities among security officers after the UPDF announced a 100% salary enhancement for top army officers. 

The UPDF said it had resolved to increase the salaries for the top brass by 100%, leaving out the junior army officers. 

According to UPDF spokesperson Felix Kulayigye, under the hybrid enhancement option, general officers’ salaries will go up by 100%, senior officers from the rank of major to colonel by 50% and captain down to private by 33%. 

He defended the pay rise for the senior army officers, noting that the lower rank officers had had their pay increased in 2018. 

The MPs implored the Government to enforce a salary review commission to address salary enhancement for all public servants, to avoid piecemeal increments. 

High profile murders 

At the meeting, the MPs quizzed the Police officers about the unresolved investigations into the high profile murders of Ugandans, such as Joan Kagezi and former MP Ibrahim Abiriga. 

“We are concerned about the status of the investigations into the murder of Abiriga, but also the case of Joan Kagezi and Sheikh Ibrahim Kirya Bahiga. What happened in the case of Bahiga? 

You reported that the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and that you had arrested and convicted wrong people,” Odoi said.

In response, Nanding explained: “The cases are still open for investigations, until we report that we have failed completely. We are still looking out for any leads. Those we had initially got did not materialise.”