Govt asks army officers to be patient on pay rise
Newly promoted army officials joined by their wives raise caps to celebrate their promotion during the piping ceremony at the army headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala, on September 15, 2022. PHOTO/ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- The government promised to increase salaries of low army cadres with those of other civil servants.
The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mr Vincent Ssempijja, has asked army officers who did not benefit from the recent pay increment to be patient, saying the government is in advanced stages of enhancing their salaries as promised.
“You have seen salaries of general officers and senior officers raised, and we have also been assured by President Museveni that the government will soon handle private officers to captain officers. This will be the time when the government will be handling other civil servants,” Mr Ssempijja said.
The minister made the remarks while officiating at the piping ceremony of newly promoted senior and junior officers at Mbuya Army headquarters in Kampala yesterday .
On September 6, President Museveni, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, approved the promotion of 497 officers.
These included four brigadier army officers previously serving as colonels, 17 colonels from lieutenant colonel, 12 lieutenant colonels from major, eight majors from captain, five captains from lieutenant and 452 lieutenants from their second lieutenant.
Brig Gen Ssenkumba Eugene Ssebugwawo, the UPDF chief of personnel and administration, presented four brigadier general officers to Mr Ssempijja for decoration. They included Brig Gen Paul Muhanguzi, the second in command of second infantry Division Mbarara, Brig David Tweheyo, the college secretary of Uganda National Defence College, Brig Silver Muhwezi, the second in command of senior command and staff college Kimaka, and Brig Peter Nabaasa, the second in command of the first infantry Division Kakiri.
“The rest of officers from lieutenant colonel down to lieutenant will be decorated from their service headquarters at a later date,” Brig Gen Ssenkumba said.
Background
In July, salaries of general officers (from one-star general/brigadier, two-star general/Maj General, three star-general/Lt General, and full general were increased by 100 percent, senior officers at 50 percent (from major, lieutenant colonel and colonel) to be effected in the Financial Year 2022/2023. President Museveni said the salaries of lower cadres (captain to private) would be enhanced in the next financial year alongside other civil servants as it was the case in the Financial Year 2018/2019.
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