As government prepares to increase the salaries of a section of civil servants in the country, politicians in Kampala will be part of the beneficiaries if Parliament passes an additional Shs 2 billion shillings for the increment of their salaries.
The lord mayor, his deputy plus all the other politicians in the city will stand to gain in the next financial year.
It remains to be seen whether this carrot from government will soften Erias Lukwago and the councillors he leads.
Lukwago has been a thorn in the flesh of the central government since he took over the city’s political leadership in 2011.
Yet the Shs 22 million he is expected to earn is still way below the more than Shs 40 million Jennifer Musisi, the executive director of KCCA, earns.
According to KCCA’s proposed budget beginning July this year, the lord mayor will now earn a monthly pay of Shs 22 million from Shs 18 million.
The deputy lord mayor will walk away with Shs 16 million from Shs 13 million.
A KCCA councillor’s salary has also been enhanced from Shs 4.4 to Shs 5 million.
However, in a very sitting each councillor will be paid Shs 100,000.
The other beneficiaries are the division mayors who will earn Shs 13 million from Shs 11 million.
Their deputies will now be earning Shs 10 million from Shs 8.4 million.
However, a section of legislators wondered where KCCA is going to get the money to enhance the salaries of the politicians. Bennie Namugwanya, the minister of state for KCCA, assured that the money is there.
In their budget, KCCA also wants Shs 800 million to organise the Boda Boda operations in the city.
