Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has rapped President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni for reportedly copying his proposal on the increment of salaries for officers of the national army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
During his 2021 presidential campaigns, Bobi Wine had made it clear to Ugandan soldiers that the least paid of them would be pocketing Shs1m every month.
But Bobi Wine lost the election to President Museveni, Uganda’s long time ruler who will have led the impoverished East African country for four decades by the end of his current term in 2026.
One year after Museveni was sworn in as President, the salaries of senior UPDF officers were raised significantly.
Bobi Wine now says that although the president succeeded in copying his proposal, he might fail to fully implement it due to high levels of corruption in the government.
“When I announced that we would pay the lowest security personnel 1m per month, the regime and its apologists said we were just being populist. They said it could not be achieved! Now, Gen. Museveni has since jumped on it and promised to implement it in the next financial year,” said Bobi Wine.
“They’ll most likely even fail to implement it and keep pushing it ahead because most of the money is stolen or wasted. Our pledge wasn’t only about pay.”
Months ago, the UPDF confirmed juicy salary increments for high ranking officers. Days later, Museveni made it clear that nobody, including MPs whose role is appropriation, would block the salary increments. (Read Stories Here and There).
Bobi Wine says that had he won, he would have comprehensively increased salaries for all government employees across board.
“It was about improving the welfare of the men and women in uniform and all public servants such as teachers and health workers,” he added.
It should be remembered that Museveni’s government increased salaries for science teachers, leaving arts teachers complaining and demoralized. (Read Story Here).
For more on salaries, check out the new salary structure for the 2022-2023 financial year, showing how much each government employee earns every month. The new salary structure is HERE.
