By Sekaggya Seka Moses
The recently released Uganda’s 2024/2025 budget has sparked interest in the salaries of top health officials.
According to the budget, the Director General of Health Services earns a monthly salary of UGX 15,340,000, translating to UGX 184,080,000 annually.
Similarly, the Executive Director of National Referral Hospitals takes home UGX 15,141,555 monthly, which is UGX 181,698,660 annually.
Health Sector Salaries:
– Director General of Health Services: UGX 15,340,000 monthly, UGX 184,080,000 annually
– Executive Director of National Referral Hospitals: UGX 15,141,555 monthly, UGX 181,698,660 annually
– Medical Officers, Dental Surgeons, Pharmacists: UGX 5,408,476 monthly, UGX 64,901,712 annually
These figures have raised eyebrows, especially considering the current economic situation in Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni recently addressed the issue of youth unemployment, stating that the government can only provide a conducive environment for all Ugandans, but cannot employ all citizens.
This statement comes amidst reports that over 400,000 graduates in Uganda are working as Boda-boda operators due to lack of jobs.
Concerned Ugandan citizens have begun questioning the fate of the Salary Review Commission, established to ensure fair and equitable compensation.
Many wonder if the commission’s recommendations were ignored, allowing such substantial disparities in salaries.
“What happened to the Salary Review Commission?” asked Samwise Gamgee on X (formerly Twitter).
“It’s unacceptable to see such hefty salaries for top officials while our youth struggle to find employment.”
The total budget for FY 2024-25 is UShs 72.1 trillion, marking a significant increase of UShs 14.1 trillion from the initial proposal of UShs 58 trillion.
Uganda’s economy has shown growth, expanding from UShs 162.9 trillion in FY 2021/2022 to UShs 184.3 trillion in FY 2022/2023.
However, the question remains whether this growth will trickle down to address the pressing issue of youth unemployment.
Down is detailed breakdown of salaries in the health sector:
