Namisindwa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of the newly recruited technical staff in Namisindwa district have raised complaints against the Chief Administrative Officer for failing to register them on the district payroll since they were recruited.
Over 20 staff members mainly Assistant Agricultural Officers and Assistant Animal husbandry officers commonly known as ‘extension worker’s who were recruited and given appointment letters and posting in December last year, have not received salary for more than six months now.
They say non-payment for their services for such a long period of time affects the output since they have to struggle to meet the basic human needs to be in a proper physical, social, and economic suitable status to execute their duties effectively.
In the letter dated July 4th/2022, they tasked the CAO Franco Olaboro to explain to them why they have never from the time they were recruited received payment and yet they have continued to work for the district. “It is our humble request to your attention that you update us with reliable information on when we must expect our uniform monthly salaries together with accumulated arrears from January 2022 to date,” the letter reads in part.
Luuk Wakoora, an Assistant Agricultural Officer attached to Bukokho Sub county said that they have on several occasions engaged district leaders over their salaries but he has been telling them that there is no structure for their salaries. He said they have written to the CAO to give them a reason for them not accessing the pay roll and salaries but he has not responded since last month.
Joseph Hisa, the District Councilor for Bukhaweka Town Council said that the councilors cautioned the technocrats about recruiting staff for whom there was no wage bill to recruit many staff members. He notes that the CAO and the district service commission adamantly went on to recruit staff because they were interested in extorting money from the job applicants even when they knew there was no money to pay them.
The Chief Administrative Officer Franco Olaboro was not reachable for a comment as he could not pick nor return our repeated calls.