The council speakers in the municipalities and town councils across Uganda have been asked to prepare a defence of their demand for elevation and improvement in their welfare.
Kelly Komakech, the secretary general of the Urban Council Speakers Association of Uganda said he has received a communication from Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of parliament asking them to get ready to appear before the parliamentary committee of Finance and Local government to defend their demands.
He said he was excited by the telephone communication from the speaker, which he said indicates they are making progress.
More than 370 councilors last week petitioned parliament to urgently consider amending the Local Government Act to make provisions for elevating their positions from part time to full time as well as increase their payment.
Their demands also include scraping off of the tax levied on payments made to the councilors as well provision of funds by the central government to supplement the local revenue allocated to cater for the welfare of the urban councilors.
Komakech said the response is a step forward in their struggle for a better working conditions and effective service delivery for the people.
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He said their performance is hindered by unfavorable working conditions provided in the Local Government Act which he said stipulates that urban council speakers should perform similar roles to that of the speaker of parliament and yet does not make equal provisions for their welfare.
He added that such provisions do not provide for similar rewards to the positions. Komakech added that most urban councilors were fast becoming conmen, to cope with the increased demands coupled with inadequate pay.
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If successful, the move could see government allocating more money to the urban councils to cater for increased payment of allowances.
Presently, local councilors in urban councils get paid allowance comprising twenty percent of the locally generated revenue. However, the amount paid to each councilor is also subjected to a thirty percent Pay As You earn tax reducing the net pay to anything between 15,000 to 500,000 shillings depending on the capacity of the urban council.
The move has sparked excitement among the local councilors with many saying it was long overdue.
Urban councils are part of the Local government, which is provided for in the constitution and the local government act under the decentralized governance. They perform financial and legislation roles among others.
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