UPDF: We budgeted for newly promoted officers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF will not require a supplementary budget to pay the salaries of more than 2000 newly promoted officers, URN has learnt. Recently, President, Yoweri Museveni promoted more than 2,031 officers and men to various ranks.

Those promoted from the rank of Lt Gen to General include Ivan Koreta, and Joram Mugume.  While those promoted from Major General to Lt. General are Pecos Kutesa, John Mugume, Proscovioa Nalweyiso, Charles Awany Otema, James Nakibus Lakara, Peter Elwelu and Muhoozi Kainerugaba among others.

The promotion of the officers and men comes with better pay and other benefits. However, parliament has already debated the draft budget for the 2019/2020 financial year that is only awaiting approval. But UPDF says they plan for promotions annually, adding that the recently promoted officers were properly planned and budgeted for.

Although he doesn’t mention specifics, the Defense Ministry Spokesperson, Brigadier Richard Karemire, says the money for the newly promoted 2000 officers and men is available. The Defense and Veterans Affairs State Minister, Charles Engola also said they have enough money for the promoted officers and will not require additional funding.

“You know these people have already been getting salary, only that their earnings will now increase, but this is not something that just caught us off-guard,” he said. Although URN couldn’t establish the exact amount of money required for the promoted officers, the item for promoted army officers between the ranks of Captain to General in the UPDF budget framework papers or 2019/2020financial year that is unfunded stands at Shillings 196 billion.

According to the breakdown, Shillings 49 million is required for the salaries of the two generals, Shillings 228 million for the 10 Lt. General, Shillings 345M for 16 Major Generals and Shillings 734 million for 36 Brigadiers. Earlier on, Henry Musasizi, the Chairperson Finance Committee at Parliament told URN that UPDF can present a supplementary budget or enforce budget cuts to pay the newly promoted officers.

“In general terms what I can tell you is that it will either be a supplementary budget request or it will be a budget cut, they will have to look for this money from within their current budget,” Musasizi told URN on phone. He said the newly promoted officers will have their salaries adequately budgeted for from June/July this year since it will be in a new financial year.

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URN