Kampala, Uganda – At a time when classrooms sit empty, hospitals lack staff, and roads crumble across the country, the government has announced a pay rise for all local government leaders from village LC1 chairpersons to district mayors.
The announcement, made by Minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi in Parliament on Tuesday, has sparked outrage and fierce debate over government priorities.
Magyezi praised local leaders for their patience, selfless service, and sacrifice, and revealed that the Cabinet has approved a proposal to boost their salaries starting next financial year.
Alongside the salary increase, he announced more perks like new vehicles for district chairpersons and mayors, Shs 30 billion induction program for councillors, road equipment for cities and municipalities, and extra funding for physical planning to curb unplanned settlements
The minister insisted that service delivery is improving, and confirmed that LC1 and LC2 elections will be held alongside the 2026 general elections.
However, not everyone in Parliament was convinced. Speaker Anita Among cut through Magyezi’s optimism with a stinging reality check:
“In most districts you visit, classes are empty, there are no teachers, hospitals lack medics, and roads are in poor condition because they lack equipment. Honourable Minister, what local government people are saying is an eye-opener. We should not sugarcoat it.”
Her comments drew applause across the chamber, highlighting a growing gap between government rhetoric and the lived experiences of Ugandans.
Several legislators backed the Speaker, citing grim realities in their constituencies, like Gilbert Olanya said, district road equipment often breaks down within a year and is never repaired.
Godfrey Onzima revealed that one health center in his area had only two midwives, both on leave, forcing pregnant women to walk away without care.
Paul Omara reminded Parliament that local government funding has dropped from 15% to just 7% of the national budget.
Finance Minister of State Henry Musasizi defended the government’s controversial decision to centralize revenue collection, arguing that many local governments were understating their tax collections.
But critics say centralization has drained local councils of financial independence, making them powerless to respond to community needs.
Even Minister Magyezi admitted the truth:
“At some time, 34 percent of the national budget went to local governments. We went down to 26, then 18, now 9 percent. You cannot decentralise 80 percent of responsibilities and give only 10 percent.”
Speaker Among agreed, stressing that local government’s current 9.5% share of the national budget is far too little to support meaningful service delivery.
For many Ugandans, this pay rise feels like a bitter pill. Leaders are set to receive more money and brand-new cars, while ordinary citizens continue to face broken systems like children learning under trees with no teachers, patients turned away from health centers with no doctors or drugs, and roads so damaged that farmers cannot take produce to markets.
The government insists that rewarding local leaders is about motivation and recognition. But critics, including some within Parliament, say it sends the wrong message when services on the ground are collapsing.
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