Kapelebyong civil servans protest salary non-payment

KAPELEBYONG - More than 250 civil servants in Kapelebyong District Local Government have protested over irregularities surrounding their salary payments.

The majority of the protesters were primary and secondary teachers who started their march at Kapelebyong Primary School and proceeded to the office of the Resident District Commissioner, carrying placards and voicing their concerns about the delayed salaries.

Francis Okore, the branch chairperson of the Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) in Kapelebyong, stated that approximately 482 teachers, parish chiefs, medical workers, and others are affected in the district.

Many are struggling to pay bank loans and tuition for their children, among other basic needs.

Okore mentioned that despite undergoing the national employee validation process and completing a revalidation in public service in Kampala in February of this year, some civil servants have received salaries for only one or two months, while others have not been paid for up to three months.

The civil servants expressed their distress over the complete lack of communication from district leadership.

They are demanding that district authorities explain the cause of the irregularities in salary payments.

The protest comes just two weeks after civil servants allegedly circulated appeals on various social media platforms, seeking urgent intervention regarding the crisis affecting their welfare and livelihoods.

The civil servants are now concerned that their funds will be returned to the treasury when the financial year ends on June 30th.

During a protest, the employees were met by officers from the RDCs, CAOs, DPCs, and the LC-V's office, who attempted to explain the causes of the problem.

Nelson Shaineh, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Kapelebyong, expressed regret that some employees did not receive their salaries due to incomplete documentation during the Auditor General's validation process.

Employees who participated in the validation process early in April received their salaries for that month, but calculating arrears took time, causing delays for those who validated later.

He mentioned that out of the 400 civil servants who raised concerns about their salaries for February and March, approximately 50 would still be missing payments.

A statement from the LC-V Chairperson, Francis Akorikin, indicated that they have been meeting several times to find solutions for salary payments for all employees, including any outstanding arrears from previous months.

Akorikin noted that many of the issues contributing to delayed salary payments stem from challenges beyond their immediate control, but they are working towards resolving these issues.