Ugandan taxpayers will spend almost Shs1tn for the increment of salaries of lower cadres of the national army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), as well as the recruitment of new soldiers in the next financial year (FY2024-2025).
A report from Parliament’s Budget Committee indicates that the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MoDVA) will continue with the phased salary enhancement for soldiers or lower ranks (Private to Captain).
UPDF officers at up to 10 ranks will benefit from the salary increment starting July 01. The salary of a Private will rise from Shs485,279 to Shs828,426 while that of a Lance Corporal (L/CPL) will rise from Shs494,912 to Shs1,003,025.
The salary of corporal will increase from Shs504,544 to Shs1,117,848. A sergeant will earn Shs1,387,992 up from Shs514,175. An Staff Sergeant (S/SGT) will earn Shs1,597,852 up from Shs523,807.
The salary of a Warrant Officer II (WO II) will rise from Shs574,332 to Shs1,856,445 while that of a Warrant Officer I (WO I) will increase from Shs591,715 to Shs2,096,800. A second lieutenant (2LT) will now earn Shs2,384,047 up from Shs613,690.
A soldier at the rank of a lieutenant (LT) will be earning Shs2,480,606 up from Shs772,596. A UPDF officer at the rank of a captain will see his or her salary rise from Shs845,638 to Shs2,736,333.
“The enhancement of salaries of lower ranking officers will help reduce the pay gap in military service and also improve the pension incentive paid for lower ranking officers to bring them slightly closer to the broader public service salary standards,” read a report from Parliament’s budget committee in part.
“The Committee, therefore, recommends that salary enhancement for the lower cadre staff of the UPDF and recruitment be prioritized and that MoFPED [Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development] provide an additional allocation to the wage bill of UGX. 962.23 billion in FY 2024/25.”
You can see how much top UPDF officers, including generals, earn HERE.
(To advertise on The Pearl Times, send us a WhatsApp Message on +256(0)705690819).
