Speaker Among Rejects Inquiry into Salaries of Mps and Parliamentary Staff
Speaker Among asked the Equal Opportunities Commission to Respect Parliament’s Independence
The Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among has rejected requests by both the Equal Opportunities Commission & Public Service to handover a report detailing how much each Member of Parliament and staffs at Parliament are paid.
The speaker’s argument came as a response to letter written to the Clerk of the Parliament Adolf Mwesige by the Equal Opportunities Commission and Public Service seeking for a report on how much the MPs and the staffs of Parliament get Monthly.
She said that Parliament is an independent body, and asked the Attorney General to remind both the agencies that the people on Parliament’s payroll aren’t civil servants.
“I think people are forgetting separation of power. The Uganda Parliamentary Commission is a standalone, we don’t belong to Equal Opportunities Commission we aren’t civil servants for Public Service to start asking for salaries of MPs. And it is high time Attorney General, you told these people that we have our independence we shouldn’t be asked,” said Anita Annet Among.
The Attorney General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa concurred with the Speaker , arguing that the move by Equal Opportunities Commission investigating how much MPs & staff of Parliament are paid would be an extension outside their mandate and promised to advise the Commission regarding this matter.
However, Ssemujju Nganda (Kira Municipality) rejected the arguments fronted by both Speaker and Attorney General, arguing that Equal Opportunities Commission can only establish vulnerabilities of Ugandan when they compare with the salaries earned by MPs and staff of Parliament.
“If you stop Equal Opportunities Commission to compare with other people and Parliament, where are you sending them? To compare them with Kenya and Rwanda because within the same environment, comparison is what will show you the vulnerabilities. Are you now stopping them from making that comparison?” remarked Ssemujju.
Under the Uganda’s Leadership Code, public officer are required to declare their assets, income and liabilities to the Inspector General of Government within three months of starting work in the public service.
The declaration for elected political leaders from the sub-county level up to the President, permanent secretaries, heads of public institutions, board members of public institutions, and executive leaders of political parties is for every five years.
