Soldiers’ Salary Enhancement a Reflection of the Econimy that Work

Before current PS/ST, Ramadhan Goobi, assumed that seat, he was famed for the economics that works glib. He envisioned a working economy capable of supporting its populace, after certain economic imperatives are fine tuned to enlist the desired results. The process of making it work would be deliberate, slow and calculated. If you asked the soldiers whose salary hike is in the offing, they will affirm in unison that the economy is really working.

However, the proposed salary increase should be looked at from a historical perspective. It has been long coming and what has kept the faith of the men in uniform is the historical mission and ideological grounding of NRA that emphasizes sacrifice and patriotism over opulence.

The Commander-in-Chief has consistently maintained that as the economy improves the civil servants and soldiers pay would be enhanced. Given the competing demands and the slow but improving economy, the need to modernize the army, acquire the requisite technology, machinery, field and specialized training, it called for a lot of patience and ability to appreciate the changing times that we have not seen a mutiny or loud murmurs from soldiers agitating for a pay rise. Kudos to chieftaincy of political commissariat (CPC) which is in charge of UPDF doctrine.

In its report on the ministerial policy statementsand budget estimates for Ministry of Defence and veteran Affairs for the FY2024/2025, the committee led by its chairman Wilson Kajwengye recommended  pay rise for soldiers between the rank of private and captain as proposed by the Defence Ministry. A private who has been earning shs485,000 will have their pay almost doubled to shs828,426 in the new proposed rise. The Lance corporal, who has been earning shs495,000 will have a pay rise to 1.03m, while a corporal will earn 1.1m from the current shs504.000. The pay of the sergeant will triple to shs1.3 from current shs514,000, while that of sergeant has more than tripled to 1.59m from current shs523,800.

The enhancement of salaries of lower-ranking officers is intended to reduce the gap between the high-ranking officers and their juniors. Also to improve the pension incentive paid for the lower-ranking soldiers in relation to public service standards. However, as an institution, the army has other means of supporting its officers like Wazalendo Sacco that is both a saving and credit scheme.

It is the doctrine of revolution rather than careerism that is the bedrock of the army, in spite of the meagre pay, it’s the doctrine of revolution that keeps the will and power of the officers alive. Just imagine the kind of zeal that will come with the increased pay. At the strategic level, in 2022, the high command that sat on July 6, unanimously resolved to increase the salaries of the high-ranking officers, the General officers by 100% followed by senior officers by 50% and captain to private by 33%.

It was a prudent decision by the high command to start from the top given the small number of General officers and the fact that most of them had reached retirement age and an enhancement of their pay would guarantee a stable life as their pension would support their survival out of uniform.

Historically, the biggest challenge army pensioners faced, right from colonial times through the post independent governments to the present is how to have a dignified life after retirement. To date, it is this government that has managed to look for these old patriots and ensure that even in retirement, they get a pay cheque to make them enjoy the evening of their lives.

So, this current pay rise is not about having more cash now, but a clear plan to buffer them from the vagaries of old age after retirement. A junior officer earning 1.5m now, by the time he rises through the ranks till retirement, means that his progression will ensure that the pension would have grown to such a level to support an officer out of uniform. The army council can be lauded for this foresightedness.

This single most decision is enough to make the army focus on their major assignment of keeping our borders safe from possible external aggression. It is acalming agent for those who may have lost focus to start looking for side hustles in a bid to feather their nests now as an insurance for the old age. Combining businesses and military assignment would drain the energies to concentrate on the revolutionary calling.

Now that the future is secured, may the promise of the CIC to modernise the army, both in equipment and personnel gain momentum in earnest knowing that the sacrifices made now are well catered for in the future.