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GRACE MATSIKO
KAMPALA
SOME junior ministers in President Museveni’s Cabinet have said they are paid salaries for doing no work and are effectively redundant and bored. Several of them said they have not met the President individually for consultations since June 2006 when Mr Museveni appointed them to Cabinet.
“[I] only see the President at public functions and in newspapers,” one state minister said. Unlike in neighbouring Kenya where junior ministers disgruntled over lack of work protested openly three months ago, in Uganda the state ministers prefer to suffer quietly in the hope that the situation will improve.
“How do I leave my home in the morning, come to office, sit, take tea, read newspapers, wait for lunch, call up colleagues, and you call me a minister?” another minister said.
He was echoed by a colleague: “While some of
us are idle and bored, our senior ministers are overworked.
They attend to every business and travel abroad.”
The state ministers spoke to Daily Monitor on condition
of anonymity for fear of losing their idle jobs although
they said that they have informed Prime Minister Apolo
Nsibambi and the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament,
Prof. Ogenga Latigo, of their frustrations.
There are 44 state ministers and 28 senior ministers
in President Museveni's government. Kenya and Tanzania
boast of leaner Cabinets compared to Uganda.
Having idle ministers means that they are paid using
taxpayers money yet the public gets no value for money.
It also means that the President named these people
to Cabinet to win political support of the constituencies
they represent as part of state patronage and not because
they contribute to making the lives of Ugandans better.
According to the Ministry of Public Service, all ministers,
who are paid more like MPs because it is more lucrative
that way, earn a basic monthly salary of Shs1,461,000.
The junior ministers are also entitled to a monthly
taxable gratuity of 30 percent of their salary while
senior ministers get 40 percent.
They also get a monthly subsistence allowance of Shs4.5 million, mileage facilitation for two trips to and from the constituencies, plus further pay for 500km for movement within the constituency. The mileage pay depends on the distance from Kampala to the farthest point of one’s constituency.
With or without constituencies, the ministers also pocket Shs1,220,000 as constituency facilitation every month. Other benefits include Shs2.4 million as medical allowance per year, Shs35 million as contribution from government to buy personal cars every five years, a government car, a driver, a body guard and allowances whenever on duty away from Kampala. This applies to whether one is within or outside the country.
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| HIS FOLD NO LONGER AT EASE: President museveni and some of his ministers at a public function recentlty. File photo |
The junior ministers said the problem in President
Museveni’s Cabinet has been that of conflict between
them and their senior colleagues over the schedule of
duties.
The sources said, for example, that junior ministers
in the Ministry of Water and Environment do not have
enough room to run their areas of responsibility. Ms
Maria Mutagamba is the substantive minister while Ms
Jennifer Namuyangu is in charge of water and Ms Jessica
Eriyo is for environment.
There is similar confusion in the newly formed Information and Communication Technology ministry over who should have a say on issues pertaining to the blossoming telecommunications industry.
Conflicts have also been reported in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development where the substantive minister is Syda Bbumba and one of her deputies is Rukia Isanga (Women).
At the closing of the 8th Commonwealth Women Affairs
Ministers Meeting in Kampala on June 14, for example,
Ms Bbumba reprimanded Ms Isanga before journalists for
calling a press conference after Ms Bbumba had given
her own briefing as chair of the meeting.
But Ms Isanga, accompanied by Permanent Secretary Christine
Guwatudde, stood their ground and addressed the reporters
to give the government’s appraisal of the meeting.
"The undefined dockets for the individual junior
ministers has left many of us helplessness and dejected,"
one junior state minister said. Yet another added: “The
problem is that senior ministers want to treat us as
their personal assistants.”
Other ministries where junior ministers are generally
idle and disgruntled include Public Service; Lands,
Housing and Urban Development; and Ethics and Integrity.
Prime Minister Nsibambi described the ministers’
allegations as “absolute rubbish”.
The prime minister said: “There is so much work
to do. There is now a problem of floods. We are in meetings,
we must attend Cabinet sessions, attend Parliament to
provide answers to questions and then some ministers
have constituencies to attend to. How can someone say
he or she is redundant? The problem is not what to do
but actually inadequate resources.”
He, however, acknowledged that there have been disagreements between senior and junior ministers over allocation of responsibilities. “I have intervened in cases brought to my attention and helped to solve the differences amicably.” On why ministers are complaining over not meeting Mr Museveni, Prof. Nsibambi said they suffer from “presidentialism”, a situation that makes them think they must see the head of state for anything to go forward.
“The President made it clear that if they want to see him, they consult me,” the prime minister said. “If the minister is not satisfied, he or she can meet the vice-president. If not satisfied, he or she can still see the President.” Prof. Latigo, the Opposition leader in Parliament, said that several junior ministers have told him of their frustrations.
“Some ministers have told me how useless they
feel,” he said. He said that because of the redundancy
of state ministers, many government offices exist in
name only.
“I have been to some ministries and been shocked
by the laxity,” Prof. Latigo said. “By 9
a.m. there are no officials to attend to you. I have
shared my concerns about the despondency with those
concerned.”
Presidential political aide Moses Byaruhanga said because of his busy schedule, the President cannot meet all the ministers individually. In any case, he said, Mr Museveni chairs many Cabinet meetings where he interacts with his ministers.
"There have been two seminars for this Cabinet
on how communication should take place,” Mr Byaruhanga
said, “and it was made clear that Cabinet is the
central place, and that the ministers should make use
of the vice-president and the prime minister."
Prof. Latigo wondered why any minister should be dying
to meet the President saying it is humiliating to serve
in his Cabinet. Said the Opposition leader: “You
make a decision in Cabinet and the President makes another
decision outside and it is the decision outside that
will stick.”
The redundant ministers could borrow a leaf from Mr Agard Didi who, while serving as minister of state in the Prime minister’s Office, snatched the chance when he had the floor in a parliamentary committee to blurt out his woes. He accused Prof. Nsibambi of denying him work, and the widely publicised outburst earned him audience with State House.