Government moves to quadruple RDCs salary

• Government plans to increase RDC salaries from UGX 2.29 million to UGX 9 million.

• Deputy RDCs and assistant RDCs would also receive major salary increments.

• Parliament says RDC salaries have remained unchanged for nearly 20 years.

The government of Uganda is planning a major salary enhancement for Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), deputy RDCs and assistant RDCs.

A new pay rise for the district officials recently approved by the cabinet could see taxpayers spend more than UGX 29 billion annually on the officials’ wages alone.

The proposal was presented by the chairperson of Parliament’s Presidential Affairs Committee, Alex Byarugaba, while tabling the committee report on the 2026/27 Ministerial Policy Statement for the Office of the President.

Under the proposal, RDC salaries would rise from the current UGX 2.29 million to UGX 9 million per month. 

Deputy RDCs would see their pay increase from UGX 1.28 million to UGX 5 million, while assistant RDCs would move from UGX 877,216 to UGX 2.69 million.

According to the committee report, Uganda currently has 146 RDCs, 170 deputy RDCs and 432 assistant RDCs.

Byarugaba told Parliament that the salaries of RDCs and their deputies have remained unchanged for nearly two decades despite rising inflation and increasing responsibilities.

“The Committee established that for almost 20 financial years, salaries for RDCs and deputy RDCs have been stagnant,” he said.

He argued that other public servants such as Chief Administrative Officers, whom RDCs supervise, have already benefited from substantial salary enhancements over the years.

The proposed increment alone would cost government an additional UGX 29.079 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.

The proposal comes at a time when President Yoweri Museveni and government continue to face criticism over the increasing number of RDCs and related political appointees.

Over the years, opposition politicians, civil society actors and some analysts have argued that the growing RDC structure places a heavy burden on taxpayers and duplicates the work of elected local government leaders.

Critics have also questioned the creation of assistant RDC positions and the frequent reshuffles and appointments made by the presidency.

In 2022, the appointment and reshuffle of RDCs sparked widespread public debate after some appointees were criticised over competence, political patronage and the expanding size of the office. 

Opposition figures including members of the Forum for Democratic Change and National Unity Platform have previously accused government of using RDCs as political mobilisers for the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Government, however, maintains that RDCs play a critical role in monitoring service delivery, supervising government programmes and coordinating security at district level.

The committee revealed that Cabinet had already proposed the salary enhancement package before it was presented to Parliament.

If approved, RDCs would become some of the highest-paid presidential appointees at district level.

The committee recommended that the full funding be allocated to the Office of the President in the next financial year to facilitate the new salaries.