The clarification settles disagreements that arose in a number of districts and lower local governments after Local Council elections and subsequent swearing-in ceremonies recently.
The Ministry of Local Government has clarified how salaries and allowances for Local Council (LC) officials will be handled following the recent change of leadership across Uganda.
In a letter dated May 29, 2026, Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya stated that outgoing LC officials will receive salaries and allowances for May 2026, while newly elected and sworn-in leaders will begin earning from June 2026.
The communication, referenced HRM 55/414/01 and addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, was issued after several local governments requested guidance on salary payments during the transition period.
According to Kumumanya, the ministry assessed the handover process and found that most newly elected councils were sworn in from May 18, 2026. As a result, outgoing officials had served for the larger part of the month and remained eligible for May payments.
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“Payments of May, 2026 should go to the Old LC Officials and the New Ones Commence with the Month of June, 2026 as it has been the Practice in the Service,” Kumumanya noted.
The clarification settles disagreements that arose in a number of districts and lower local governments after Local Council elections and subsequent swearing-in ceremonies recently.
Some newly elected leaders had argued that they should receive salaries for May because they assumed office before the month ended. Outgoing officials, however, maintained that they were entitled to the payments since they had served throughout most of the month.
The dispute had created administrative difficulties in some areas, including uncertainty over payroll processing and management of local government funds.
A Chief Administrative Officer from Eastern Uganda, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the ministry’s directive had eased tensions surrounding the transition.
“We had LC III chairpersons refusing to hand over files because of the salary issue. Now we can tell both the old and new teams exactly what to expect,” the official said.
Kumumanya emphasized that the guidance does not introduce a new policy but instead reinforces a long-established government practice applied whenever elected leaders assume office during an ongoing salary cycle.
He further indicated that the communication was intended to guide the Ministry of Public Service in taking the necessary action on the matter.
The directive is expected to be shared with Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks and other accounting officers responsible for implementing payroll decisions in local governments across the country.
The clarification affects thousands of elected leaders at village, parish, sub-county, municipal and district levels. With more than 60,000 Local Council positions nationwide, the decision is expected to support orderly payroll management, budgeting and accountability during the transition to the newly elected leadership.
Under the arrangement, outgoing officials are guaranteed payment for their service during most of May, while newly elected leaders will receive their first salaries and allowances through the June payroll.