The judiciary has interdicted Stanley Kisambira, one of its drivers who recently complained about low salary.
In a May, 25 letter by the Judiciary Permanent Secretary, Pius Bigirimana also copied to the Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice, the Principal Judge and Chief Registrar, Kisambira will cease to exercise functions as a driver and should immediately hand over everything.
“In accordance with regulation 38(1) (b) of the Public Service Commission Regulations 2009 and section F-s para 17 of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders 2021, you are hereby interdicted from exercising your function as a driver with immediate effect,” Bigirimana’s letter reads in part.
According to the interdiction letter, Kisambira will receive half pay of his monthly salary during this period but will also not be allowed near his Mbale High Court duty station including all other courts without prior written permission from the Permanent Secretary.
“You will not leave the country without express authority from the Permanent Secretary.”
Kisambira, 46 and a resident of Sazzagulu zone in Mukono District was recently arraigned before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate and charges of hate speech read against him.
Prosecution alleges that on May, 12, 2023, within Uganda, through a computer, Kisambira shared on the judiciary transport whats app group information in form of a recorded audio which was likely to promote hostility against judges in the judiciary in that judges’ salaries are unfair and above those of their drivers and that a driver can decided to cause road accidents by ramming into a moving truck thereby killing the judges and their bodyguards
He pleaded not guilty but was later granted bail.
The law
Section 26A(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 2022 provides that a person shall not write, send or share any information through a computer, which is likely to ridicule, degrade or demean another person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender; create divisions among persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender; or promote hostility against a person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender.
The law says that any person convicted for contravening this subsection is liable to to a fine not exceeding 750 currency points or imprisonment not exceeding seven years, or both.
One currency point currently is equal to shs20,000 and 750 currency points is equivalent to shs15 million.
In an audio clip that made rounds on social media, Kisambira complained of the exploitation of judiciary drivers earning a mere Shs200,000 as the monthly salary.
“I am a driver. I can ram into a stationery trailer, killing all occupants, including the judge and bodyguard,” Kisambira who has been with a judiciary for 15 years said in the audio clip.
The audio clip saw the judiciary driver hailed by a section of members of the public for coming out to address a critical issue of the welfare of the judiciary drivers.
The issue of salaries and allowances has been a hot topic in the past three or so weeks after Pte Wilson Sabiiti shot and killed his boss, Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola reportedly over stress accumulated from financial difficulties.
Sabiiti would later turned the gun on himself.