Published on 16/12/2024
Speaker Anita Among has firmly rejected requests from Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and Ministry of Public Service to provide details on the salaries of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff.
Citing Parliament’s independence as a separate arm of government, she directed the Attorney General to remind the two entities that Parliament’s employees are not civil servants and therefore outside their jurisdiction.
Speaking during a plenary session, Among revealed that the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige, had received formal requests from the EOC and Public Service to disclose salary details.
“I think people are forgetting the principle of separation of powers. The Uganda Parliamentary Commission is independent. We don’t fall under the Equal Opportunities Commission or Public Service. MPs are not civil servants and this should be made clear. The Attorney General must remind these agencies of our autonomy,” said Among.
To support her stance, Among referenced Article 32(3) of the Constitution, which outlines the mandate of the Equal Opportunities Commission. She argued that the EOC’s functions, as prescribed by law, do not extend to investigating salaries of MPs or parliamentary staff.
“When you look at Article 85, which addresses MPs’ emoluments, it is self-explanatory. Is it proper for the Equal Opportunities Commission to overstep its mandate and investigate matters they are not authorized to?” she asked.
Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka backed the Speaker, emphasizing that the EOC’s mandate is limited to addressing marginalization based on gender, age, disability and other historical or cultural factors. He argued that investigating parliamentary salaries falls outside their scope.
“The Equal Opportunities Commission is not a court of law or an appellate body. Its role is to promote affirmative action and address marginalization. Investigating salaries of MPs and parliamentary staff is a significant overreach. We will continue advising them on maintaining their focus,” Kiryowa said.
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda disagreed, arguing that salary comparisons are essential for identifying disparities and vulnerabilities among Ugandans.
“Vulnerabilities are often revealed through comparisons. If the EOC is barred from comparing MPs’ salaries with others, where are they supposed to draw benchmarks? Should they compare with Kenya or Rwanda? Comparisons within the same environment are crucial to understanding inequalities,” said Ssemujju.
In response, Kiryowa maintained that the EOC’s mandate is specific to addressing marginalization due to historical or societal disadvantages, not broad salary evaluations.
“If we aren’t careful, we might demand equal opportunities for things like owning the same car or being the same height. That’s not the purpose of the EOC. It is meant to ensure fairness in laws and policies without creating undue comparisons,” Kiryowa asserted.
This development comes amid increasing public criticism of Parliament over alleged corruption, nepotism, and lavish expenditures. Speaker Among has frequently dismissed such allegations as politically motivated attacks, attributing them to her support for controversial legislation like the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
Recently, Among was sanctioned by the United Kingdom and United States, which imposed travel bans on her and her family members over alleged human rights abuses and governance concerns.
While the Speaker initially dismissed the sanctions, claiming the only visa she cared about was “to Bukedea,” she later expressed hope that Donald Trump’s potential return to power could lead to the lifting of these restrictions.
Her remarks sparked further backlash from critics, who questioned her apparent concern over the sanctions despite her earlier indifference.
