By Steven Enatu
SOROTI
Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) have complained to government that they are being paid peanuts as salary yet they are Accounting Officers.
Speaking yesterday 4th March 2021, Luke Lokuda the Chief Administrative Officer Soroti also Chairperson Uganda CAO’s Association during the commissioning of LC1 and 2 stamps at Soroti Mayor’s Gardens, said it is unfair that they are paid 1.3 million shillings only yet some officers under them in the district are paid more.
Currently the CAO’s in Uganda are paid 1.3 million shillings compared to their counterparts working as permanent secretaries Ministry of Local government who earn 15Milion shillings.
Luke Lokuda the Chairperson of Chief Administrative Officers who doubles as the CAO Soroti District Local Government raised this on behalf of CAO’s before the state minister for Local government Hon.Jenipher Namuyangu during the commissioning of stamps for local council one and two chairpersons in Teso and Karamoja held at Soroti Mayor’s Garden today.
According to Lokuda, a few years ago their monthly salary was the same with those for Permanent Secretaries (PS) but now they have been pushed to 15 million far beyond their Salary.
He added that the CAOs are the accounting officers for the Ministry of Local Government at the district level and are custodians of service delivery yet their pay is not commensurate to the tasks.
“We are not complaining that their salary is bigger than ours but we just need some fairness, it’s a big gap of 13.7Million, even at the District we have heads of departments who earn more than us but we are the accounting officers” He said.
He stressed that the factor is affecting their stability on the job and in turn impacts negatively on service delivery.
Meanwhile Hon Minister Namuyangu while responding to the matter noted that Salary increase depends on the National treasury and if the CAO’s are demanding then definitely the local council five chairpersons will also need.
“The chairperson LC’s earn little and yet they are expected in every funeral function to contribute etc, now when we increase for CAO’s automatically LCV’s shall also demand and the RDC’s as well” She said.
