Ugandan lawmakers have sounded the alarm over persistent salary delays affecting police officers, demanding urgent action from the Ministry of Public Service to rectify what they describe as an unacceptable payroll crisis. The heated debate in Parliament on Thursday revealed growing frustration over a broken system that leaves security personnel unpaid for months due to bureaucratic failures.

The issue came to light when Minister of State for Trade David Bahati delivered a statement on behalf of Defense Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, explaining that salary disruptions stemmed from mismatched personal records and an ongoing transition between payroll systems. According to Bahati, many officers failed the 2023 Auditor General’s verification exercise due to discrepancies in names, birth dates, or missing national IDs, leaving them categorized as “partially verified” and unpaid.

The problem has been compounded by the shift from the older Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS) to the new Human Capital Management System (HCM). Bahati admitted the transition causes delays since salaries are first processed through HCM before IPPS, a sequencing meant to prevent double payments. “While no salaries are lost, the two-system process inevitably slows payments for those still on IPPS,” he told Parliament.

Tororo Woman MP Sarah Opendi challenged the explanations, demanding transparency. “Where are the unutilized salary allocations shown in audit reports? Officers suffer in silence fearing victimization,” she pressed, calling for a full list of affected personnel and clear migration timeline. Her concerns were echoed across the political divide, with legislators describing demoralized police officers taking out their frustrations on civilians.

Public Service Minister Grace Mugasa revealed the payroll cleanup had uncovered shocking fraud. “We found thousands of ghost workers costing taxpayers Shs5 billion yearly,” she said, defending the system migration as necessary to eliminate these fake entries. But MPs questioned why each new system brought fresh problems instead of solutions.

Opposition Leader Joel Ssenyonyi delivered an impassioned plea, highlighting the human cost. “These officers earn peanuts that arrive late if at all. No wonder we see rising public hostility from police – they’re hungry and desperate,” he said, demanding immediate intervention. NRM’s Godfrey Onzima criticized the ministry’s “system-hopping”, asking why Uganda couldn’t develop one functional payroll platform lasting a decade rather than perpetual transitions.

The debate took a dramatic turn when Sheema District’s Rosemary Nyakikongoro exposed a glaring contradiction. “Recruits must present national IDs to join the force. How then do they mysteriously lack identification during payroll processing?” she questioned, drawing murmurs of agreement. Her point underscored growing suspicions that systemic failures rather than officer errors were to blame.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa finally intervened, directing the Public Service Ministry to present a comprehensive solution within fourteen days. “This house won’t tolerate endless excuses while those protecting us go unpaid,” he declared, capturing the chamber’s mood.

The crisis exposes deeper flaws in Uganda’s public sector payroll management, where technological upgrades intended to curb corruption end up punishing legitimate workers. With police morale at risk and public safety implications, Parliament’s rare bipartisan pressure signals that patience has run out. As officers continue serving without pay, the coming weeks will test whether the government can match its security rhetoric with prompt action for those on the frontline.

Observers note the irony of a payroll system so dysfunctional that it withholds wages from the very institution meant to maintain order. With the fourteen-day ultimatum ticking, all eyes now turn to the Public Service Ministry to either fix the broken system or face escalating political consequences. For Uganda’s underpaid police force, the resolution can’t come soon enough.