Museveni Directs Pay Rise for Local Gov’t Leaders Amid Service Delivery Debate

Political leaders in Uganda’s local government structures are set for a long-awaited pay rise beginning in the 2026/27 financial year after President Yoweri Museveni issued a directive to address long-standing concerns over poor remuneration.

The announcement was delivered by the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, in Parliament on Tuesday, 9 September 2025, following petitions from the Uganda Local Governments Association (ULGA) and the Urban Authorities Association of Uganda (UAAU) on challenges affecting service delivery at subnational levels.

Pay Reform and Facilitations for Local Leaders

Magyezi told MPs that government recognises the statutory obligation to adequately remunerate duty bearers. “Appropriate facilitation and pay of duty bearers is a statutory obligation. Unfortunately, the local government political leaders across board are poorly paid and facilitated. We commend them for their patience, selfless service, and sacrifice to the country,” he said.

The minister revealed that he is preparing a Cabinet Paper on the new remuneration framework, which will cover all political leaders from LC I chairpersons to district and city level executives.

Other interventions announced include:

• Shs30 billion allocation for induction of councillors in the next fiscal year.

• Procurement of vehicles for district chairpersons and mayors.

• Recruitment drives to fill critical staffing gaps.

• Distribution of road equipment to cities and municipalities.

• Increased physical planning grants to curb unplanned urbanisation.

Magyezi also confirmed that LC I and II elections will be harmonised with the 2026 general elections, while subventions to ULGA and UAAU will be doubled to Shs600 million.

Speaker and MPs Challenge Minister’s Optimism

While Magyezi argued that annual assessments show improvements in service delivery, Speaker Anita Among countered that realities on the ground paint a different picture.

“In most districts you visit, classes are empty, there are no teachers, hospitals lack medics, and roads are in poor condition because they lack equipment,” she said, warning against “sugarcoating” challenges.

Opposition and ruling party MPs echoed these concerns:

• Hon. Gilbert Olanya (FDC, Kilak South County), chair of the Public Accounts Committee – Local Government, criticised the poor quality of road equipment, saying much of it breaks down within a year and is sometimes hired out to private contractors.

• Hon. Godfrey Onzima (NRM, Aringa North County) flagged severe staffing gaps in health and education, citing health centres operating with as few as two midwives.

• Hon. Paul Omara (Indep., Otuke County) decried the decline in local government funding from 15% of the national budget to just 7%, calling for decentralisation of more resources.

Debate Over Revenue and Centralisation

Finance State Minister Hon. Henry Musasizi defended revenue centralisation, arguing that many districts understate collections. “All revenues must go to the consolidated fund. Local governments collect revenue on behalf of government,” he said.

However, Magyezi closed the debate by insisting that chronic underfunding is the root cause of most service delivery failures. “At some time, 34 percent of the national budget went to local governments. We went down to 26, then 18, now 9 percent. You cannot decentralise 80 percent of responsibilities and give only 10 percent,” he argued, calling for the budget share to be raised progressively.

Speaker Among agreed, noting that local governments currently receive just 9.5% of the national budget: “If we stood firm for increased funding, these issues would be resolved.”

A Balancing Act for Decentralisation

The pay rise directive and proposed reforms signal government’s attempt to balance two competing pressures: rewarding and empowering local leaders while addressing public dissatisfaction with deteriorating services. Analysts warn that without substantial increases in budget allocation, the reforms may remain symbolic.

As Uganda prepares for the 2026 general elections, the state of local governance — from road maintenance to healthcare staffing — is expected to feature prominently in political discourse, with both leaders and citizens calling for a deeper commitment to decentralisation as a tool for service delivery and wealth creation.