Ugandan MPs Increase Allowances 39%

Members of Parliament in Uganda have voted to increase their allowance by 39%, with allowances for their parliamentary staff also rising by 15%. The increase has been made on the grounds of the rise in the cost of living.

Defending the increase MP Peter Ogwang of the ruling NRM claimed that their salaries and allowances come under great strain as a result of the multiple requests from their constituents.

MPs are paid between Shs15 million and Shs30 million each month, according to the distance between their constituency and Parliament, which is located in Kampala. According to Uganda’s Monitor the increase will add Shs63.46 billion to the taxpayers bill in 2019/20, meaning an increase in the budget from Shs497.8 billion to Shs561.3 billion. It is not yet clear how the increase will be funded as the Ministry of Finance had already set out the resources available for the year. However, under Article 85 of the Constitution MPs have the power to determine their emoluments.