Govt set to increase salary for local leaders

The government intends to raise the pay of lower-level local government officials, according to Minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi.

With the help of this initiative, local administrations will be able to combat recruitment irregularities like nepotism and bribery, which have hampered the advancement of merit-based hiring practices.

In Uganda, irregularities in recruitment within local governments have long been a cause for concern due to claims of corruption, partiality, and manipulation during the hiring process.

Minister Magyezi acknowledged that the low pay received by local government leaders encourages them to partake in corrupt activities in order to supplement their income, which in turn contributes to these illegal tendencies.

“When leaders are underpaid, they are more likely to resort to corruption to make ends meet,” Magyezi stated.

But Betty Ethel Naluyima, the Shadow Minister for Local Government, drew attention to the fact that irregularities in hiring frequently stem from higher up in the government hierarchy.

She gave instances from 2022 and 2023 in which the Education Service Commission hired secondary school teachers without the required paperwork.

Recruitment irregularities, according to Naluyima, are a problem that extends beyond local levels and are carried out by dishonest leaders in ministries and agencies.

Naluyima went on to say that although corruption at the district level is a problem, it is not as bad for the economy as the billions of shillings that central government officials embezzle.

Although the salary increase was implemented with good intentions, some critics, such as Naluyima, highlight the need for a more comprehensive strategy to combat corruption.

“Raising salaries is a step in the right direction, but it won’t be enough unless the government also addresses corruption at the highest levels,” she warned.