By CALEB BAHIKAHO

Municipal mayors and town councils chairpersons are demanding for salary increment of over 400% this financial year.

This was contained in a memorandum presented by the chairperson of Urban Authorities Association of Uganda (UAAU) Johnson Muyanja to the chairperson of the Parliamentary committee on public service and local government Florence Kintu.

This was during the associations' executive committee annual general meeting held in Heritage Country Club Rukungiri on Friday.

Muyanja who is also Mukono mayor said leaders in urban areas are getting miserable salaries compared to the demands of the towns they lead.

Mayors get a gross pay of sh1m per month while LC3 chairpersons of town councils get sh300,000 per month. In their memorandum mayors demanded a net pay of sh5m per month while the town council chairpersons want a net pay of sh3m per month.

Muyanja said in many countries, street lights are free of charge while in Uganda they charge the urban councils for street lights which drains their meager resources.

"The biggest work in the country is done by the local governments and yet they get a little portion of the national budget while the biggest portion remains at the centre," he observed.

Muyanja however, praised government for the road equipment that were given to municipalities, saying it will ease their work on road maintenance as well as opening new roads in the urban areas.

They also demanded for an amendment of the Local Government Act Cap 243 to provide for statutory bodies in urban councils like land boards and public service commissions.

They also demanded that government should grant municipality status to Mubende, Mityana, Kitgum, Nebbi, Kira and Lugazi towns before the 2016 general elections.

Florence Kintu who was chief guest assured the meeting that they will put pressure on Government to fulfill their demands.
 Kintu warned civil servants against involving themselves partisan politics.