By Nakanwagi Olivier Mukaaya
MBALE
Mbale City cleaners have accused Mbale City Council for failing to pay their salaries for 4 years.
This website has learnt that over 50 Street Cleaners haven’t been paid for at least 4 years and are working in unfavorable conditions without gloves, gumboots and brooms.
Florence Nabutsele, a Cleaner on Naboa Street said she has not been paid for now 4 years which amounts Shs3.7m
“I have not paid rent for now 10 months and I have been picking things in the shops on credit, I have got 10 children who need food and medical care,” she said.
She added; “We work in very poor environment with no gloves, no gumboots; as a result I have contracted a number of infections but still at the end, we don’t see any payment.”
She added that the Authorities keep on promising them but they don’t fulfill the promises.
Zavi Masolo, a 80 year old, a resident of Bufumbo cell said he has been working for the last 15 years.
“They have been paying me in bits, I owe them about Shs 4m, I was just paid 30, 000 last Christmas instead of Shs90,000 am supposed to earn per month,” he said.
He added; “whenever we raise complaints they keep on threatening us saying we will be fired and this is what we fear because we want a job to earn a living,”
“Am old, sick and unable to meet my medical bills because I haven’t been paid for a long time and I don’t have anyone else to cater for my needs,” he said.
He appealed to leaders to have sympathy and pay their money.
Robina Nandutu, a 62 old and a resident of Zabanyanya, who has worked for 16 years, says she demands about Shs6m.
“I have been suffering for some good years to the extent that I can’t pay school fees, feed my own grandchildren I take care for, we held a meeting and they promised to pay us, but to our surprise we were only given Shs30, 000,” Nandutu said.
She added; “we are being ordered, mistreated during time of cleaning but paying us little money is a problem, we work in sewage with bare hands and we risk our health but they don’t mind about us,”
Opi Musila, a resident of Mooni said they promised to raise their pay when Mbale becomes a city but they went silent after approval of city status.
Joyce Nabutele, a resident of Wanale and a cleaner on Republic Street said her nonpayment has resulted into conflicts with her spouse.
“My husband has repeatedly asked me whether I really go to work because I return with nothing yet I leave home at 6 am,” she said.
She added “some of our fellows have been fired because of complaining and this has really created fear in us hence resorting to keeping quiet because sometimes even though you there is no change.”
James Kutosi, acting spokesperson Mbale city division confirmed this and called for the workers’ patience.
“We are aware that workers have not been paid especially group employees for some time but we had some effects in the revenue collection, revenue went down during COVID Period,” he said.
He added; “but revenue not being collected didn’t stop people from coming to town, the town getting dirty and people continued working.”
“Our transition from municipal to city , even when I speak today we haven’t got funds for city operations and supplementary budgets have not been worked on and this has affected grants that we get so it’s true that they have not been paid for some time but it doesn’t mean they will not paid,” Kutosi said.
