Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has declined requests from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the Ministry of Public Service to release a detailed report on the salaries of Members of Parliament (MPs) and parliamentary staff. Among said that Parliament operates as an independent body and instructed the Attorney General to remind these agencies that Parliament’s employees are not classified as civil servants.
“I received information from my Clerk, Adolf Mwesige, that the Equal Opportunities Commission and Public Service have written requesting a report on the salaries of MPs and parliamentary staff. This reflects a misunderstanding of the separation of powers. The Uganda Parliamentary Commission is an independent entity and does not fall under the purview of these agencies,” Among stated during plenary sitting on Tuesday.
She further argued that the EOC’s mandate does not extend to investigating parliamentary salaries. Referring to Article 85 of the Constitution, which outlines MPs’ emoluments, she remarked: “When you look at Article 85, it is self-explanatory. Is it right for the Equal Opportunities Commission to overstep its boundaries and probe matters beyond its jurisdiction?”
Attorney General Kiwanuka Kiryowa supported Speaker Among’s position. He explained that the EOC’s mandate is confined to addressing inequalities related to marginalized groups, including gender, age, and disability, and warned against the commission overreaching its authority.
“The Equal Opportunities Commission’s role is to advocate for affirmative action for marginalized groups, not to act as a judicial or financial oversight body. We will provide further guidance to ensure they stay within their remit,” said Kiryowa.
However, the Speaker’s stance faced criticism from some MPs. Ssemujju Nganda, MP for Kira Municipality, challenged the rationale provided by Among and the Attorney General. He argued that the EOC’s ability to assess vulnerabilities across Ugandan society depends on understanding disparities, including comparisons with MPs’ and parliamentary staff salaries.
“The Equal Opportunities Commission needs access to such information to fulfill its mandate of identifying inequalities in Uganda. Without such comparisons, it is difficult to establish where vulnerabilities lie,” Ssemujju contended.
