KAMPALA: The Uganda Police Force has responded to concerns raised across various media platforms, including the New Vision publication of April 10, 2024, regarding reports of missing salaries for some officers.
In a statement, Police clarified that officers are regularly paid their salaries at the end of each month. However, the Uganda Police Spokesperson, Rusoke Kituuma, noted that there are isolated cases of salary delays affecting individual officers, often due to varying circumstances specific to each case.
The causes of these delays include:
a. Mismatched records: Discrepancies between the nominal roll and payroll data where officers provide inconsistent information between their unit service records and payroll entries can cause the payment system to reject salary disbursements.
b. Incomplete validation: During a 2023 validation exercise by the Auditor General, some officers failed to meet requirements due to missing national IDs, name or date of birth inconsistencies, or lack of appointment letters. These officers were categorized as partially validated.
c. Bank identity mismatches: Payments may be rejected when identity details submitted to banks do not match those in the payroll system.
d. Deletion of deserters: Officers who desert duty are removed from the payroll. If reinstated after disciplinary procedures, they are gradually re-added to the system.
e. Erroneous retirements: Some officers were mistakenly retired following validation audits due to mismatched entry records or age discrepancies in data held by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
f. Data migration issues: The shift to the Human Capital Management System led to some payment delays due to errors during the reorganization of data records.
Kituuma emphasized that before any officer is removed from the payroll, unit commanders report their concerns to the Directorate of Human Resource Administration (HRA), which reviews and approves any deletions.
Similarly, reinstating an officer follows a structured process.
“The verification process begins at the officer’s unit and progresses to the Directorate of Human Resource Administration, where their concerns are assessed. If an officer is deemed ineligible for payment, the Directorate authorizes their removal from the payroll,” he explained.
Kituuma reiterated the Uganda Police Force’s commitment to addressing these human resource challenges and ensuring that all officers are paid accurately and on time.
