Musisi’s
Shs36million monthly salary queried
AL-MAHDI
SSENKABIRWA
Posted
on December 19, 2011
KAMPALA. A couple
of weeks ago, President Museveni approved the monthly salary of City Executive
Director Jennifer Musisi which is in the excess of Shs36million.
Ms
Musisi now falls into the category of highest paid civil servants including the
Auditor General Mr John Muwanga and National Social Security Fund Managing
Director Richard Byarugaba who earn salary in same region.
Ms
Musisi, who assumed office early this year to head Kampala Capital City
Authority (KCCA) which inherited Kampala City Council, had earlier
proposed Shs43.7million as her salary. Unlike other poorly-paid civil servants
,Ms Musisi, a presidential appointee was given a chance to proposal her salary.
However,
her approved hefty pay which is two times bigger than that of the Lord Mayor
Erias Lukwago has drawn mixed reactions from various quarters at City Hall and
residents in Kampala. Some describe it as ‘wasteful’ while others consider it
reasonable given the tasks assigned to Ms Musisi.
“The
KCCA Act says the executive director is at the level of a permanent secretary.
But permanent secretaries earn less than five million. What grand plan does she
have for Kampala which warrants her to pocket such a huge salary?” asked Mr
Suleiman Kidandala , the city deputy Lord Mayor.
Recently,
government reduced KCCA budget from the proposed Shs226 billion to Shs101
billion, a figure Ms Musisi said was too little to enable her turn around the
city.
According
to Ms Musisi, at least Sh226 billion is needed to operate and facilitate the
increased departments, staff retirement packages, councillors’ allowances among
others.
Mr
Kidandala says Ms
Musisi’s approved salary , if saved
for a year can help pay salaries for at least 1600 primary teachers in city
universal primary schools which are directly run by KCCA. However, Mr Daniel
Lule, a businessman on Luwum Street thinks otherwise “I see nothing bad with
her getting such a pay and I think it will guard her from accepting
bribes and will do her work independently,”
Mr
Francis Mukiibi a resident of Mengo Kisenyi says he couldn’t have any problem
with Ms Musisi getting a hefty pay if she was delivering the needed services to
city dwellers.
“It
is really unfair for that lady to take Shs36million home when roads are bad and
sticking garbage is everywhere .In fact Kampala is in a total mess.” He said
“She
does not deserve such money because she is not on the ground, its councilors
and the Lord Mayor who are doing a lot of work,”Mr David Byamukama , a Black
smith in the city centre.
A
councillor who preferred anonymity described Ms Musisi’s pay as exorbitantly
high, saying since she is not a politician; she is not burdened by the
electorates.
However,
he says that the allowances given to councilors should be pushed a little high
to enable them monitor projects.
“That
is a lot of money, she uses government facilities and being a civil servant so
she does not have people following her to ask for money. ”the councilor said
When
contacted yesterday Mr Peter Kaujju, the press secretary to Ms Musisi declined
to comment, saying the matter ‘was above him’ and
referred these reporters to the minister in charge of Kampala , an office which
is currently vacant since the occupant ,Ms Kabakumba Masiko resigned over
reports of abuse of office .
Documents
recently submitted to Parliament indicated that Ms Musisi’s driver receives a
gross pay of Shs7 million, which makes him the highest paid government driver
in the country, while Patrick Mugyenyi, her personal assistant, receives Shs9.6
million. It also emerged that KCCA officials allegedly took home Shs100 million
in allowances for the month of June alone.
KCCA salary structure:
Executive Director-36million
-Deputy Director and other directors will earn between Shs22million
and Shs27million
-Lord Mayor -Shs16.7million and deputy Lord Mayor 11million
-Division mayors- Shs10.7 million each and their deputies get Shs8.2
million.
-Division [LCIII] councilors earn Shs3.5 million while district
[LC5] councillors take home Shs4.45 million
The least paid staff at City Hall (office attendant) will earn
Shs1.1million.
Recently, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said he was comfortable with any
salary they will offer him so long as it can sustain him to effectively serve
his electorate
Under the defunct KCC, the mayor’s monthly salary stood at
Shs2.8million while division mayors were earning a basic salary of Shs
1.8million.
No comments:
Post a Comment