Uganda’s retired judges get even more benefits than former presidents, speakers

As Ugandans continue to mither over the grandiose handover of the Shs 2.5 billion luxurious vehicles to former speakers of parliament by speaker Anita Annet Among, they will even feel more pained when they learn about the ultimate benefits of the judges when they retire.

What retired judges get

Of the three branches of government, the officials of the judiciary get the most lucrative perks when they retire. According to the Administration of the Judiciary Act, 2020, a retired chief justice earns the same monthly salary as that given to a serving chief justice.

A retired chief justice is also given a one-off lump sum retirement benefit equivalent to 2.4 per cent of his annual salary which is multiplied by five and the years of service. For example, the current chief justice Alphonse Owinyi-Dollo earns Shs 20 million per month, therefore, when he retires in 2026 when he clocks the mandatory retirement age of 70 years, he will receive Shs 172.8 million when you calculate the seven years he is going to spend as chief justice.

But the figure will increase if one considers the 18 years he collectively has been a judge since his appointment in 2008. A retired chief justice also receives either a furnished house or a one-off payment of twenty thousand currency points which is equivalent to Shs 400 million, an annual medical allowance equivalent to the medical allowance payable to a sitting chief justice, a chauffeur-driven car or a one-off payment of ten thousand currency points which is equivalent Shs 200 million.

A retired chief justice also is given state security, two domestic servants, or a payment of Shs 300,000 per month. The retired chief justice also receives a fuel and vehicle repairs allowance of Shs 2 million per month, airtime, and internet for Shs 220,000. The same benefits also accrue to the deputy chief justice taking home the same perks as those that accrue to the sitting deputy chief justice.

The Supreme court justice takes home 80 per cent of the salary that the sitting justice takes. Their perk are similar to those of the chief justice the only variance being in the amounts. These same perks also accrue to the Court of Appeal and High court retired judges.

In justifying the vehicles giveaway to the former speakers Among said that she was simply following the dictates of the law, The Parliamentary Pensions Act 2022 first written in 2007 and amended in 2022 to include former speakers from 1980 to 2007 when the law came into effect.

Benefits of a retired president

According to the Emoluments and Benefits of the President, Vice President, and Prime Minister Act, 2010, a retired president receives an allowance which is 60 per cent of the salary of a serving president, a fully-furnished house, a one-off Shs 20 million and subsequently Shs, 10 million every five years replace the furniture. The former president is also provided a chauffeur-driven car; which is replaced every five years.

The former president is also given medical care for him/herself and his/her immediate family, four government-paid security guards, a senior personal secretary, Shs 800,000 each month for utilities such as electricity, telephone, water, two domestic staff, and first-class travel if he or she is required to travel on official business.

These same benefits are extended to the spouse/s and dependent children if the former president dies. The only exception is that instead of Shs 800,000 for utilities, the family is given Shs 500,000 and instead of a house, the family is given Shs 400 million to buy one.

For former vice presidents like Edward Ssekandi, Gilbert Bukenya, and Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, the Act stipulates that there are paid a monthly pension equivalent to 60 per cent of the gross salary of the serving vice president, Shs 300 million to purchase a house, a chauffeur-driven car, medical care for him and his or her immediate family, two government-paid security guards, a senior personal secretary, Shs 700,000 per month for utilities, two domestic staff, Shs 10 million for furniture and Shs 5 million every five years.

These benefits also extend to their spouses, and dependent children if the vice president dies. For prime ministers like Kintu Musoke, Amama Mbabazi, and Ruhakana Rugunda among others, the law says that they are entitled to a monthly pension equivalent to 60 per cent of the gross salary of the serving prime minister, Shs 350 million to buy a house, a chauffeur-driven car, medical care for him/her and his or her spouse or spouses, two government-paid security guards, Shs 600,000 for utilities, two domestic staff, Shs 7 million for furniture and Shs 5.5 million for the same purpose every five years.

Speakers benefits

“For avoidance of doubt, the Parliamentary Pensions Act as amended, now entitles them to both monetary and non-monetary benefits as provided for in the Parliamentary Pensions Act, 2022. The Parliamentary Commission is also extending the same benefits but only in monetary terms to the spouses and dependents of former speakers and deputy speakers who either died in office or retired. I know that all of you, the living retired speakers and deputy speakers are already getting your monetary benefits from the Parliamentary Commission. What was missing was the provision of a four-wheel chauffeur car which the Parliamentary Commission has now procured,” speaker Among said on X.

She added that these cars will remain the property of the government and that the Parliamentary Commission will be responsible for their maintenance and payment of allowances to their drivers who will be enrolled on the pay list as employees of the Parliamentary Commission. She added that the vehicles will be replaced every five years in accordance with the government transport policy.

Although this is a 2007 law, the outrage on social media suggested that many had not heard about it. Perhaps, it’s because of the public handing over of these vehicles; the first of its kind, that awoke the people to what they called unnecessary expenditure. According to the law, a retired speaker is entitled to a monthly allowance equivalent to 60 per cent of the monthly salary of a sitting speaker, a four-wheel chauffeur-driven car with a cubic capacity of 3500 to 4000 that is replaced every five years, two security guards, two domestic staff, medical care for him/her and his/her spouse or spouses Shs 660,000 for utilities.

The deputy speaker is also entitled to the same perks. It should be noted that it’s not only former speakers who are taking home hefty retirement benefits. The retirement benefits that the speakers and their deputies take pale in comparison to what the president, vice president prime minister, the chief justice, his deputy, and judges of the Supreme court, Court of Appeal, and High court take.

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