Gulu speaker slams widening pay gap between MPs and local leaders

9 July 2026, 1:04 pm

By Emmanuel Mwaka

The Speaker of Gulu District Council, Kenneth Okello Doggy, has sounded the alarm over what he describes as the “dangerously widening” pay and welfare gap between Members of Parliament and local government leaders, warning that the growing inequality is demoralizing grassroots leadership and threatens effective service delivery.

Speaking with intense frustration from his office on Wednesday 8 July 2026, Hon. Okello drew comparisons between the luxurious facilitation given to legislators in Kampala and the meager crumbs allocated to leaders on the ground who directly manage the community.

Doggy highlighted transport allocations as a clear example of the severe inequality embedded in the system. While Members of Parliament receive a staggering 315 million Uganda Shillings (UGX) each as a personal transport allowance money used to buy a vehicle that remains their personal property while District Chairpersons and Mayors are assigned government-owned vehicles that stay within state custody, leaving them with limited personal mobility despite their massive administrative jurisdictions.

He rejected the current entitlement mentality, reminding leaders that “nobody is born in that office” and that public service belongs to everyone. He urged the government to reform the payment structure so that local councilors are paid directly from the Consolidated Fund, just like MPs.

Echoing his sentiments, Hon. Lakwonyero Denis Ocen, the male Councilor V representing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Gulu District, also expressed disappointment with the high level of vulnerability local government leaders face while national-level politicians enrich themselves.

Responding to the concerns raised, the Aswa County Member of Parliament, Hon. Okello Patrick Ongutiwho also doubles as the Shadow Minister for Local Government noted that there may be no immediate changes to the status quo because the issue stems directly from the budget planning processes. However, he promised that they would attempt to push the government, especially in the current financial year, to reallocate funds from other votes to supplement the remuneration of local government leaders.