An open letter to H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on civil servants scramble for salary increment
You’re Excellency,
As the nation prepares to commemorate Labour Day this May, the air is thick with both gratitude and grievance gratitude for the dignity of work, and grievance for the weight many workers continue to carry.
Like a pot that has boiled too long, the voices of civil servants are beginning to spill over, calling rightfully for salary increment in the Financial Year 2026/27 as it has the previous many financial years. As the proverb goes, “When the goat cries loudly, it is not without reason.”
Permit me, Your Excellency, to state clearly and without hesitation: I stand in full solidarity with all civil servants in their pursuit of better remuneration. The Bible reminds us, “The labourer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7), and the Qur’an teaches, “Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.” These are not merely spiritual instructions they are principles of justice that speak to the heart of governance.
However, as we raise the banner for higher salaries, we must also confront the truth that is as stubborn as a rock in the middle of the road: there is no salary anywhere under the earth that is ever enough. And, with a touch of humour, perhaps even in heaven if salaries were introduced some angels would still be whispering for increments and better allowances for cloud maintenance.
Your Excellency, salary is often like Panadol; a painkiller. It soothes the discomfort, yes, but it does not cure the disease. It is an appreciation for services rendered, not a guaranteed pathway to wealth.
As the saying goes, “You cannot fatten a cow by weighing it every day.” Increasing salaries without addressing structural empowerment is like applying ointment to a wound that requires surgery.
Indeed, wealth is rarely built on salary alone except, unfortunately, in cases where public funds are misused, which we must all continue to guard against with vigilance and integrity.
I have personally witnessed a phenomenon that speaks volumes. Many Members of Parliament, often perceived to earn substantial salaries and benefits, appear financially stable while in office.
Yet, the moment they lose their seats, their financial situation sometimes collapses like a house built on sand. Within months sometimes weeks the once “full pockets” begin to echo emptiness. This is not because their salaries were small, but because salary alone is like a seasonal river, it flows today and dries tomorrow.
As the Bible warns, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19), and the Qur’an reminds us, “The life of this world is but amusement and diversion” (Qur’an 57:20). These teachings point us to a deeper truth: sustainability lies not in how much we earn, but in how well we are equipped to create and manage.
You’re Excellency, “a man who relies on one stream for water will suffer when it dries.”
In the same way, a civil servant who depends solely on a monthly paycheck walks a narrow and risky path. The world has moved ahead, and Uganda must not be left behind like a bicycle chasing a jet.
Globally, forward-thinking governments have embraced a more comprehensive approach to public service welfare. They understand that prosperity is not just paid it is built. Civil servants in many countries are supported through:
Continuous skills development and re-skilling programs
Access to affordable, government-backed soft loans
Encouragement of innovation and entrepreneurship
Financial literacy and wealth-building education
These nations recognize that “wisdom is more precious than rubies” (Proverbs 3:15). When workers are empowered with skills and opportunities, they do not merely survive they thrive.
Back home, government has tried soft loans with teachers SACCO however, many civil servants still find themselves trapped between low income and high-interest loans. Commercial banks often lend at rates that bite like a swarm of angry bees. Instead of lifting workers out of poverty, such loans bury them deeper in debt. It becomes a cycle of working to pay loans, and taking loans to survive a financial merry-go-round that spins without progress.
This is why, Your Excellency, I humbly but firmly call for a compulsory national policy on soft loans for all civil servants, including our gallant men and women in the armed forces.
This should not be an optional privilege it should be a structured and accessible system embedded in government policy.
With such a policy in place, civil servants can:
Invest in agriculture and food production
Start and grow small businesses
Engage in innovation and technology ventures
Build assets that secure their future beyond employment
As the proverb wisely says, “When you teach a person how to fish, you remove hunger from their home.” Soft loans, when combined with proper training, can transform lives and communities.
But let us not stop at financing alone. Skills are the engine that drives opportunity. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Without skills, even the best opportunities are wasted. With skills, even the smallest resources can multiply.
The modern economy demands that civil servants be equipped with:
Entrepreneurial thinking
Digital and technological competencies
Financial management skills
Innovation and problem-solving abilities
As the saying goes, “An unsharpened knife requires more force.” Training is the sharpening stone that makes effort effective.
This vision aligns seamlessly with the NRM Manifesto 2026-203 Growing the Economy and Creating Wealth, Human Development, mission of Quality Education Consultancy Ltd (QECL) and OPUL Skilling Foundation Africa (OSFA), whose motto boldly declares:
“Innovative Skilling as Medicine to Extreme Poverty.” with long-term commitment to facilitate 20 million business start-ups and contribute to 40 million decent jobs in Africa by 2035 is not just ambitious; it is necessary. After all, “a tree is known by its fruit,” and a nation is known by the economic independence of its people.
But here lies a sobering truth: informal research by QECL indicates that 99.9% of civil servants and communities are unaware of Uganda’s 10-Fold Growth Strategy (TFGS) that you always preach daily. This is akin to boarding a bus without knowing its destination. How can civil servants drive national transformation when they are not even aware of the roadmap?
Uganda’s TFGS is a bold and visionary framework aiming to expand GDP tenfold by 2040 through ATM-Agro-industrialization, Tourism, Mineral development, and science and innovation. It is a golden opportunity, a rising tide meant to lift all boats. But if civil servants remain anchored in the harbor of salary dependency, they risk missing the voyage entirely.
Your Excellency, it is also important to embrace and regulate the reality of entrepreneurship among civil servants.
Many are already engaging in side ventures not out of greed, but out of necessity. The question is not whether this should happen, but how to support it responsibly.
A well-designed policy framework can ensure that:
Public service delivery remains uncompromised
Innovation is encouraged and guided
Economic activity is expanded
Workers achieve financial stability
As the Qur’an says, “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (Qur’an 13:11).
Empowering civil servants with skills and opportunities is part of that transformation.
Your Excellency, “rain does not fall on one roof alone.” When civil servants struggle, the effects ripple across the entire nation affecting service delivery, morale, and productivity. But when they are empowered, the benefits multiply like seeds in fertile soil.
Therefore, as we celebrate Labour Day today, let us not only celebrate labour but also rethink how we reward and empower it. Let salary increment be part of the solution but not the entire solution.
Your Excellency, the question we must confront is this: Are retired civil servants economically viable or economically vulnerable? Too often, retirement is not a season of rest, but a storm of regret. Years of service end with a handshake, a certificate, and a pension that barely keeps the wolf from the door. Without skills, investments, or alternative income streams, many retirees find themselves between a rock and a hard place.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Imagine a Uganda where every civil servant exits service not with fear, but with confidence armed with business skills, supported by soft loans, and connected to innovation ecosystems. Imagine teachers running successful agro-enterprises, police officers managing logistics companies, and health workers leading community health startups. This is not a pipe dream it is a policy choice.
As the saying goes, “When the music changes, so must the dance.” The global economy is changing, and so must our approach to public service. The cry for salary increment, though valid, must not drown out the call for transformation. Otherwise, we risk winning the battle but losing the war.
Let us also remember that civil servants are not just workers they are role models. They shape the mindset of students, communities, and future leaders. If they remain trapped in a cycle of salary dependency, how can they inspire a generation to pursue innovation, entrepreneurship, and self-reliance?
Your Excellency, I humbly propose the following call to action:
Institutionalize a compulsory National soft loan scheme Policy for all civil servants, with favorable terms and financial literacy support.
Integrate compulsory continuous skilling and entrepreneurship training into public service programs, in partnership with organizations like QECL and OSFA.
Launch compulsory a nationwide awareness campaign on the 10-Fold Growth Strategy, targeting civil servants as key drivers of implementation.
Establish compulsory innovation hubs within government sectors, encouraging civil servants to develop and scale ideas that contribute to national growth.
Create a transition framework for retiring civil servants, ensuring they exit service with viable economic pathways.
This is how nations move forward not by chasing shadows, but by building substance.
In conclusion, Your Excellency, I stand firmly with all civil servants in their demand for better pay. Their cause is just, their voices valid. But as we seek to fill our pockets, let us also build our capacity. For indeed, a full pocket without a plan is like a basket with holes it cannot hold prosperity.
Let us move from temporary relief to lasting solutions, from wages to wealth, from survival to sustainability.
May God grant you wisdom as you continue to lead our beloved nation, and may Uganda rise not only in income, but in innovation, resilience, and shared prosperity?
Rotarian Dr. Opul Joseph, PhD
Lecturer, Gulu University
Founder, Quality Education Consultancy Ltd (QECL)
CEO, OPUL Skilling Foundation Africa (OSFA)
President Elect, Rotary Club of Soroti Central
Life Member, Uganda Red Cross Society
ceo@opulskillingfpundationafrica.org
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