Namutumba Ex-Councillors Appeal to Minister Over Unpaid Salaries

A group of former councillors from Namutumba District have formally petitioned the Minister for Local Government, Urgently requesting assistance in recovering outstanding salary arrears, allowances, and emoluments. The amounts in question date back to May and June 2021.

This appeal comes after a mediation session on Thursday between the ex-councillors and district technical staff, led by Chief Administrative Officer Emmanuel Ofwono, dissolved into disarray. The situation escalated when the district auditor asserted that the former councillors had actually been overpaid, instructing them to refund Shs350,000 each and accusing some of defrauding the district.

In their petition, dated June 4 and shared with the Regional Inspectorate of Government and other stakeholders, the councillors are demanding accountability for Shs300 million allegedly released in April specifically to settle their arrears. They point out that their monthly entitlement was Shs250,000, but they only received Shs175,000 after Pay As You Earn deductions, and want an explanation for the difference.

The petition highlights a previous directive from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government instructing the Chief Administrative Officer to pay the outstanding dues. However, the councillors claim the CAO has refused to comply, stating he will make his own decision.

Winnifred Nabirye, a former workers’ representative, stated that seeking external intervention was a last resort due to the district’s failure to address their concerns. She lamented that their repeated requests for payment and explanations had been ignored. Previously, in April, the fourth council refused to pass the district budget over these unpaid dues.

Former Speaker of the fourth council and current District Vice Chairperson, Geoffrey Mugoya, had reportedly assured them of payment before the new council convened. However, this promise appears unfulfilled. Another former Finance Committee Chairperson, now District Speaker Simon Peter Wakudumira, has reportedly denied the allegations, claiming all fourth council members were fully paid, contradicting his previous stance when urging councillors to withhold budget approval over their arrears.

Attempts to get comments from the District Communications Officer and the District Speaker proved unsuccessful, with both referring inquiries elsewhere or declining to comment directly. The situation remains unresolved, with former councillors seeking ministerial intervention.