By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Thirteen Secondary School Arts teachers in Bugweri district are being investigated for allegedly earning the Shs4m salary meant for science teachers.
The investigation follows a directive by the Bugweri chief administrative officer (CAO), Nelson Kirenda who has directed the District Police Commander (DPC) the teachers.
Those under investigation are; James Ayembe from Naigombwa Seed Secondary School, Janipher Mamayi Musoba and Mr Ahmed Isabirye from Nkuutu Memorial Secondary School, Mr Hakim Isabirye, Ms Elizabeth Hope Alupo and Aramanzani Magoola from Makuutu Seed Secondary School.
Others are Mr Nelson Musenge, Mr Eria Mudhungu, and Mr Augustine Waiswa (Busembatia Secondary School), Mr Martin Kate, and Mr Charles Bituge (Bishop Willigers Secondary School), Mr Derrick Alifuna (Bubinga High School), and Mr Kusain Mugabi (Bulunguli Secondary School).
The anomalies have reportedly seen some teachers’ payslips altered to match salaries of their science counterparts, which were recently enhanced to Shs4m. Arts teachers earn about Shs800,000 per month.
“I have been notified by the human resource office that while they were verifying the salary payment schedules which were received from the Ministry of Public Service for September, they noticed a number of anomalies. These are related to some teachers who are not categorised as science teachers but were scheduled to receive payments for science teachers. I request you to urgently investigate the matter,” Mr Kirenda’s October 21 letter to the DPC reads in part. He also directed the human resource officer to withhold the salaries.
Ms Mamayi said they were told to resend their teaching subjects, teaching load and years of appointment. “Why is it that it is mainly teachers of Geography who are affected? If they wanted to find out if we were involved, they would have first deposited the Shs4m on our accounts to see if we would not report the anomaly,” she said yesterday.
Ms Mamayi said she was contacted by a middleman allegedly from the Ministry of Finance, who asked to change her Arts salary scale to Science, but she declined. “I thought it was a joke until I accessed a payslip of Shs4m,” she said, adding that her deputy head teacher told her to keep her payslip and if the Shs4m is credited, she reports the matter to the CAO.
While she has since received Shs790, 000 as her September salary, the system still shows that she earns Shs4m.
Mr Alifuna said he was yet to receive summons from the CAO.
“I earn a gross of Shs1m, which comes to a net of about Shs790,000 and that is what I was paid for September. I am not aware of any investigations. Whatever errors were committed at the source have nothing to do with me,” he added.
Mr Isabirye declined to comment on the matter because it is still under investigation.
In an earlier interview, Mr Filbert Baguma, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union national chairperson, said if they discover that an Arts teacher has been getting the salary of a Science one, the government will recover the money.
He added: “Teachers should be careful to avoid being conned because the money you pay as a bribe will be deducted from your salary.”
Ms Munira Ali, the Inspectorate of Government spokesperson, said those affected should “report to us and we will take action”.
