RDC’s to Bag Shs9M Monthly Salaries.

Government has moved to raise salaries of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to Shs9million from the current 2.2 million shillings per month.

Uganda currently has a total of 146 Residents District Commissioners, 163 Deputies and about 300 of their Assistants serving across the various districts, municipalities and the cities.

On the salary structure for the 2025/2026 financial year signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, the government allocated 8.55 trillion for the wage bill.

The enhancement of salaries for Chief Administrative Officers, City Town Clerks, Municipal Town Clerks Under-secretaries and Resident District Commissioners was allocated 57 billion.

Hajji Yunus Kakande, the Permanent Secretary to the Office of the President told this publication that the pay rise to the Resident District Commissioners will commence in 2026/2027.

He revealed that the President has already established the Committee to look into the RDCs’ pay and will make proposal to the cabinet to pass the resolution.

Kakande noted that the Commissioners have been complaining about their meagre pay, but starting next financial year, their pay will be increased. “They were complaining of poor pay…already the President has put in place a Committee that will look into their pay and am sure by next financial year, this Committee will make proposal to the cabinet to pass it,” Kakande told our reporter.

He adds that currently they are getting very little money at 817,000 (referring to Assistant RDCs) then you tax it to 600,000 or 500,000 something. They are not getting good money!”

The Resident District Commissioners currently earn 2.29 million, their Deputies 1.28 million with their Assistants getting 817,000 shillings according to the Ministry of Public Service.

Once approved, the government will have to spend more than 15 trillion shillings to maintain the wage bill of the Resident District Commissioners, Deputies and their Assistants each year.

The Head of Secretariat for RDCs in the Office of the President, Maj. Martha Asiimwe says that the Commissioners have for long battled the meager pay amidst their overwhelming tasks.

She adds: “the President has already blessed them and they will get what can support them. They monitor government projects yet can’t afford to send some of their children to school.”

The Commissioner in Charge of RDCs for Northern Uganda, Alice Akello Opio has urged the Commissioners to stick to their mandate of monitoring government programs.

Akello argued that without monitoring, most of the government projects intended for community livelihood support and developments will go to waste.

The Resident District Commissioners derive their role from Article 203 of the Uganda 1995 Constitution and the Local Government Act 1997.

Their primary duties are representing the President in their administrative areas; monitoring the government projects; fighting corruption; maintaining security.