Taxpayers could soon shoulder an additional Shs 29.079 billion annually if parliament approves a proposed salary enhancement for resident district commissioners (RDCs), their deputies, and assistant RDCs.
The proposal was presented by Alex Byarugaba, chairperson of parliament’s presidential affairs committee, during the tabling of the committee report on the 2026/27 Ministerial Policy Statement for the Office of the President.
According to the proposal, RDCs’ monthly salaries would increase from Shs 2.29 million to Shs 9 million, while deputy RDCs would move from Shs 1.28 million to Shs 5 million. Assistant RDCs would see their pay rise from Shs 877,216 to Shs 2.695 million per month.
Uganda currently has 146 RDCs, 170 deputy RDCs, and 432 assistant RDCs. To finance the proposed increments, the committee recommended that an additional Shs 29.079 billion be allocated to the Office of the President in the 2026/27 financial year.
“The committee established that, for almost 20 financial years, salaries for RDCs and deputy RDCs have remained stagnant,” Byarugaba said, noting that inflation and the rising cost of living had significantly eroded their purchasing power.
The committee also justified the proposed salary review on the grounds that RDCs currently earn less than some of the technical officers they supervise, particularly chief administrative officers (CAOs), whose salaries have already been enhanced in recent years.
Byarugaba argued that the disparity had created an imbalance within local government administration and undermined the authority and effectiveness of presidential representatives at the district level.
The proposal comes amid broader government efforts to review public sector salaries.
In the 2026/27 Ministerial Policy Statements and recent directives from the Presidency, government committed Shs 500 billion towards a phased salary enhancement plan for arts and humanities teachers. The plan provides for annual increments of 25 per cent over four years to narrow the pay gap with science teachers.
Meanwhile, the ministry of Public Service and the Uganda Local Government Workers Union are finalising salary enhancement plans for other technical officers outside the science sector and chief administrative officers.
Local Government minister Raphael Magyezi confirmed that the government has also earmarked Shs 30 billion for the facilitation of political leaders from LC I to LC V, while technical staff salary enhancements will be integrated into the wider public service wage bill.
Under the proposed new salary structure, primary school education assistants would earn Shs 700,000, up from the current Shs 449,000. Primary school headteachers’ salaries would rise from Shs 980,000 to Shs 1.5 million, while deputy headteachers would move from Shs 773,000 to Shs 1.3 million.
In secondary schools, headteachers with arts degrees are expected to earn Shs 3.5 million, up from Shs 2.3 million, while their deputies would move from Shs 1.7 million to Shs 2.1 million.
Arts teachers with degrees in secondary schools would earn Shs 1.5 million, up from Shs 980,000, while diploma holders would see their salaries rise from Shs 700,000 to Shs 1.3 million. Parliament is expected to debate the proposals as part of the forthcoming national budget process.
So RDCs will also have a bounty?! Uganda is such a discriminatory country by design! A striking example of this is the highly discriminatory policy that favours science subjects over the arts. This policy stands in stark contrast to the provisions of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda. Specifically, Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees equality and non-discrimination, asserting that all individuals are equal before and under the law in all areas of life. The Constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, creed, religion, social or economic standing, political opinion, or disability. How and where do you place this policy? Ugandans are trying to negotiate their way around it! How on earth do you introduce such a policy from employment (once people have already trained?) How easy is it to turn from an artist to a scientist?! The best would have been to provide incentives from training and make it clear that science will be paying in future, but not with this government that chides and denigrates part of its population while continuing to train them – dishonesty, just! By the way, why hasn’t anyone even gone to court?!
Apollo, our 86-years-old PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa is dangerously misleading the country.
In other words, it is unfortunate that at the level of Head of State, Mr. Museveni is over-simplistic so dumb and ignorant about what science is all about. Otherwise, there is no such a thing as “science is better than the humanities” so that the former is paid higher salary.
The truth is: from its etymological origin (Latin) the word or term science (“scientia”) is simply another word/term for KNOWLEDGE (to know or experience).
Along this line Mr. M7’s scientist is actually a Natural Philosopher: someone who observes and clearly describes natural phenomena and classifies them into terms or vocabulary for discoveries, invention sic innovation etc.
In other words, why can’t a historian, sociologist, anthropologist, linguist, etc. be a scientist?
E.g., in ancient time what we call Prophets, were actually sociologists who made kin observation about the ethical, moral, environmental, economical and political behaviour of the society they live in; and mentally analysed these data make logical conclusions and were able to warn and predict what were bound to happen; such DOOM (Prophet of Doom) if the people did not change their ways.
Ugandans Priorities leave you speechless. It’s like sharing the spoils of a Heist.
Hear this One! Why hasn’t anyone even gone to Court!? Which One? Uganda is run by NRA/M (Notorious Robbers Army/Movement) with a Legacy of Death and Destruction!!(Nakimuli was Nebanded for being Vocal about rampant Corruption)The Devil lives by His Beliefs and Illusions Enriching his Cohorts who in return Sing Praise Songs of Agumeho for Him!!..Before Indigenous Ugandans Stand Up and Reclaim their Country Back Nothing will Fall from the Sky to make Everybody Happy! At 85 He is Pushing for his last Tenure by 2031 He will be 91 like Paul Biya of Cameroon wearing Pampers..! His Drunkard Son who cannot even Cram a Script is Busy Drinking and Sodomizing Men in his Basement!!..Uganda is Doomed!!
But what formula did our 86-years-old PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa use, to arrive at Shs.9, 5 and 2.6 million respectively for his Excess Baggage? Some if not most of this excess RDC baggage are his retired military officers on Pension.
In addition, he also want his idols the so call scientists exempted from Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax.
It is the same guy who last week, at an international forum, told whoever (Ugandan) thinks and complains that fuel price and/or transport fare are too high, should stay home. If that is the case who is suppose to top-up his excess baggage RDC BS salaries?
No wonder, after telling us off on 26th Jan 2017, that he is neither our servant nor employee, the guy thinks we are his SLAVES and therefore, decides which slaves to set free from bondage and which ones to add more bondages.
Hell NO!
In other words, in order to pay more taxes for the incremental payment RDC, etc. salaries; whoever wants to “work harder” like Boxer in the Orwellian Animal Farm, risk being sold to the neighbourhood slaughter house and his/her bones boiled to make Glue and the skin/hides to make expensive leather shoes and handbags for the Napoleon Family and stinky Pigs Cabal.
But since the “Protection of Sovereignty” has not yet been ascended to by Napoleon into law, I suppose I should not be charged with economic sabotage (refusing to lay more eggs) or interfering with personal Policy (four legs good, two legs better) of patronizing loyalty through arbitrary pay rise for his obscurant and sycophantic cadres.