Speakers and deputy speakers of the Council of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and division urban councils could fall in things starting July 2021 after a bill meant to determine their salaries and allowances was tabled in parliament.
On May 04, Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs minister Minsa Kabanda tabled the KCCA (Amendment) Bill, 2021, primarily focusing on the determination of salaries and allowances for deputy speakers, for its first reading before the House.
Presiding speaker Thomas Tayebwa referred the bill to the Committee on Presidential Affairs.
“This is a three-clause bill and when you read the Certificate of Financial Implication, the money for the KCCA speakers and their deputies is already provided for [in the KCCA budget for FY 2021/2022],” said Tayebwa.
“I therefore, want the committee to process it within one week and bring a report so that we can pass it before passing the Budget.”
ABOUT THE BILL
The main objective of the piece of legislation is to give powers to the Kampala Minister to determine the salaries and allowances for the KCCA speaker, deputy speaker and urban council political leaders.
According to the bill, the Minister for Kampala will consult the ministers of finance and public finance while determining the salaries and allowances.
The tabling of the bill was occasioned by gaps in the determination of allowances and salaries in the existing law: the KCCA (Amendment) Act, 2015.
Three years ago, Parliament made changes in the the KCCA (Amendment) Act, 2015, to approve the creation of positions of speaker and deputy speaker at City Hall and division urban councils.
But the 2019 amendments failed to establish a framework for the manner in which salaries, allowances and other emoluments for these office bearers should be determined.
The implication has been that the leaders who have occupied these positions have not taken home salaries and allowances.
But the good news is that these will be paid their salary and allowance arrears starting July 2022 if the Kabanda bill is passed.
“Since the office bearers of the newly established offices have been occupying the offices, there is need to provide for retro-active application of the Bill,” part of the bill reads.
“This will ensure that all those persons who have occupied the newly created offices since the coming into force of Act I of 2020 are remunerated.”
