Government chief executives should be paid in a uniform manner — COSASE

Members of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises meeting in Parliament.

There are big discrepancies in the salaries of the chief executives of parastatals, authorities and commissions arising from the legal frameworks which set up the entities, according to a report passed by Parliament last week.

The pay of the chief executives is determined by either line ministers or boards and is not guided by any policy, the report – prepared by the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) – says.

“As such, officers in some entities are paid half or quarter of the salary of their colleagues elsewhere to perform similar functions,” according to the report.

The highest paid chief executive named in the report – Bank of Uganda’s Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile – earns Shs53 million per month – while the lowest paid, UBC’s managing director, is paid Shs4 million a month. The document lists the pay of 36 chief executives.

EntityJob TitleExecutiveSalary (Shs)
Bank of UgandaGovernorEmmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile53.31 million
Uganda Revenue AuthorityCommissioner GeneralDoris Akol40 million
National Social Security FundManaging DirectorRichard Byarugaba39 million
Vision GroupChief Executive OfficerRobert Kabushenga37.33 million
Uganda Communications CommissionExecutive DirectorGodfrey Mutabazi36.96 million
National Medical StoresGeneral ManagerMoses Kamabare35.22 million
National Information Technology AuthorityExecutive DirectorJames Saaka34.37 million
Uganda Electricity Transmission Company LtdManaging DirectorErias Kiyemba32.51 million
Civil Aviation AuthorityManaging DirectorRama Makuza30 million
National Water and Sewerage CorporationManaging DirectorSilver Mugisha30 million
Uganda Electricity Generation Company LtdManaging DirectorHarrison Mutikanga26 million
Uganda Electricity Distribution Company LtdManaging DirectorJoseph Katera25.30 million
Rural Electrification AgencyExecutive DirectorGodfrey Turyahikayo24.79 million
Uganda Development BankChief Executive OfficerAdongo Patricia Ojangole24 million
National Housing and Construction Company LtdChief Executive OfficerParity Twinomujuni20.92 million
Uganda National Bureau of StandardsExecutive DirectorBen Manyindo20 million
Uganda Coffee Development AuthorityExecutive DirectorEmmanuel Iyamulemye Niyibigira20 million
Uganda Wildlife AuthorityExecutive DirectorAndrew Sseguya19 million
Cotton Development OrganisationManaging DirectorJolly K. Sabune18.62 million
Privatisation UnitDirectorMoses Mwase18.2 million
National Forestry AuthorityExecutive DirectorMichael Mugisa18 million
Uganda Investment AuthorityExecutive DirectorFrank Ssebowa16 million
PPDAExecutive DirectorCornelia Sabiiti15 million
Uganda Post LtdManaging DirectorJames Arinaitwe13.75 million
National Drug AuthorityExecutive SecretaryDonna Asiimwe Kusemererwa13.30 million
National Planning AuthorityExecutive DirectorJoseph Muvawala12.51 million
National Environment Management AuthorityExecutive DirectorTom Okurut12.48 million
Diary Development AuthorityExecutive DirectorJolly Zaribwende11 million
Air CargoGeneral ManagerKyankya Guyina Fred10.25 million
Uganda National Cultural CentreExecutive DirectorOjede Francis Peter10 million
National Council for Higher EducationExecutive DirectorJohn Opuda-Asibo9.80 million
Uganda Property Holdings LtdChief Executive OfficerMartin Kihembo8.70 million
Uganda Railways CorporationManaging DirectorCharles Kateeba8.70 million
NambooleManaging DirectorSsewanyana Jamir8.50 million
Uganda Export Promotion BoardManaging DirectorElly Twineyo Kamugisha7.40 million
Uganda Broadcasting CorporationManaging DirectorWinston Agaba4.10 million

The committee takes issue with the differing salaries of executives handling entities with similar classifications. For example, the heads of the Uganda Revenue Authority and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority earn Shs40 million and Shs15 million respectively, yet both entities are authorities.

Similarly, the chief executive of Vision Group is paid Shs37 million while that of Uganda Property Holdings Ltd earns Shs8.7 million; both entities are corporations.

Accordingly, the committee recommends that pay “should be determined in accordance with the classification of the entity.” It adds: “All officers appointed to authorities should be remunerated in a uniform manner while those appointed to institutes, centers, commissions, and corporations should ordinarily attract the same pay.”

The report was finalised in May 2015. It looked at the audited accounts – of 2011, 2012, and 2013 – as well as the performance of entities in which the government has a stake, and regulatory bodies.