By Hanning Mbabazi
Kampala: The Ministry of Public Service has presented a supplementary request to the Finance Ministry aimed at reducing the salary disparity in the Uganda Police Force.
According to the Minister of State for Public Service, Hon. David Karubanga, the approval of the request will see the rise in salary of police officers with different qualifications.
“The salary of an arts based superintendent of police will be raised to a figure of shs225 million in the financial year 2019/2020, as the disparity in pay is progressively reduced,” said Karubanga.
Karubanga made the revelation while responding to concerns by Hon. Adong Lilly (IND, Nwoya) over pay disparities between assistant superintendents of Police who hold arts and science qualifications.
The State Minister said that the long term pay target by the ministry of five years would level the salary scales for the assistant superintendents of Police at shs3.5 million.
MPs were also concerned about the salaries of police pilots
who they said have not received any pay rise despite several promises.
“The President gave a directive that pilots should have a specific salary
structure. It is so worrying that some pilots were taken care of but the ones
in the police wing are not being catered for,” said Hon. Elijah Okupa (FDC,
Kasilo County).
Karubanga explained that the phased pay policy would see
pilots in the Uganda Police Force get an increase in their earnings.
“We have put the pay for police pilots at a reasonable level and they will
progressively be at the same rank as other pilots within five years,” Karubanga
said.