Judiciary has clarified on the audio clips making rounds on social media in which one of the drivers of the unnamed judicial officer warned of consequences if their low salaries and welfare are not urgently addressed.
In an audio recording shared widely on WhatsApp, the driver identified as Stanley Kisambira said he receives a meagre pay of Shs 200,000 per month and an operational allowance of Shs 200,000 per quarter, yet he joined the judiciary as early as 2008.
“Sincerely speaking, I am very annoyed,” said Kisambira, adding, “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“I am a driver. I can ram into a stationary trailer, killing all the occupants, including the judge and bodyguard,” he added.
“People make declarations before their deaths,” Kisambira, who hails from Bugiri in eastern Uganda, further cautioned.
However, responding to the clip and its contents shared in, Judiciary in a statement issued on Sunday, the Judiciary acknowledged that Kisambira is their employee but refuted reports that he has ever been attached to the Chambers of The Hon. The Chief Justice, as alleged in the clips.
“This is to clarify as follows; That it is true that Kisambira Stanley is a driver who has been working in the Judiciary since 2008. Whereas the approved salary for drivers may be inadequate, the Judiciary leadership resolved that the allowances for all non-judicial staff (drivers inclusive) in the institution be enhanced in line with CSI No.6 of 2018 on duty facilitation allowance. This was an intervention to facilitate the lower cadre of staff specifically non-judicial staff whose salaries have not been enhanced,” reads in part a statement by the Judiciary’s spokesperson, Jamson Karemani.
The Judiciary added that each driver is paid a reasonable consolidated monthly allowance paid out on a quarterly basis, of which if added together with the salary, the total monthly payment for a driver is over one million shillings.
“These payments exclude duty facilitating allowances and operational funds which Mr. Kisambira refers to as OP in one of his audio recordings. In addition to all this, every Staff of the Judiciary benefits from health insurance services,” explained the Judiciary.
While it is true that salaries of non-judicial staff in the Judiciary Service are low like for workers in other institutions, the Judiciary Management said it has made interventions as stated above to bridge that gap.
In the meantime, the Management of the Judiciary said it had reached out to Mr Kisambira in an effort to guide him on how best his concerns ought to have been addressed.
“This is to reassure all Staff of the Judiciary that everything is being done within the laid down legal precincts to further address their welfare concerns.”
The threat comes hardly a month after a bodyguard shot dead Labour Minister Rtd. Col. Charles Engola in Kampala accusing his principal of neglecting his welfare entitilements.
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