The Ministry of Local Government has moved to end uncertainty surrounding the payment of Local Council (LC) officials following the recent transition of leadership across the country.
In a letter dated May 29, 2026, Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya confirmed that outgoing LC officials are entitled to salaries and allowances for May 2026, while newly elected and sworn-in leaders will begin receiving payment from June.
The clarification was contained in a communication referenced HRM 55/414/01 and addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service after several local governments sought guidance on how to handle salary payments during the transition period.
According to Kumumanya, the ministry reviewed the circumstances surrounding the handover process and established that most councils were sworn into office from May 18, 2026, meaning the outgoing officials had effectively served for the greater part of the month.
"Payments of May, 2026 should go to the Old LC Officials and the New Ones Commence with the Month of June, 2026 as it has been the Practice in the Service," Kumumanya stated.
The directive resolves a dispute that had emerged in several districts and lower local governments following the conclusion of Local Council elections and the subsequent swearing-in ceremonies.
Some newly elected leaders had argued that because they had already assumed office before the end of May, they should be included on the payroll for that month.
Outgoing officials, however, maintained that they had served through most of the month and therefore remained entitled to the corresponding salaries and allowances.
The disagreement reportedly created administrative challenges in some areas, with uncertainty over payroll processing and accountability for local government funds.
A Chief Administrative Officer from Eastern Uganda, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said the ministry's guidance had removed a major obstacle to the transition process.
"We had LC III chairpersons refusing to hand over files because of the salary issue. Now we can tell both the old and new teams exactly what to expect," the official said.
Kumumanya stressed that the decision does not introduce a new policy but rather reaffirms a long-standing government practice applied whenever elected leaders assume office partway through a salary cycle.
"The purpose of this communication is to forward to you the above advice for your consideration and further action accordingly," he wrote.
The guidance is expected to be circulated to Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks and other accounting officers responsible for implementing payroll decisions across local governments.
The clarification affects thousands of elected leaders across Uganda's local government structure, including village, parish, sub-county, municipal and district council officials.
With more than 60,000 Local Council positions nationwide, the decision also has implications for local government budgeting, payroll management and accountability during the transition to the newly elected leadership.
For outgoing leaders, the directive guarantees payment for service rendered during most of May. For newly elected officials, however, it means waiting until the June payroll cycle before receiving their first salary or allowance.