In Uganda’s judiciary, tensions are running high as deputy registrars, assistant registrars, and chief magistrates accuse the government of reneging on pledged salary enhancements.
According to the Observer newspaper, what began as a welcome boost in pay scales has devolved into frustration and threats of industrial action.
On June 30, 2025, the Ministry of Public Service issued Circular Standing Instruction No. 1 for the 2025/2026 financial year, allocating Shs 8.5 trillion to the national wage bill—a Shs 724 billion jump from the previous year. For judicial officers, this meant notable raises: deputy registrars’ monthly salaries climbing from Shs 12.5 million to Shs 12.75 million, assistant registrars from Shs 10.5 million to Shs 12.75 million, and chief magistrates from Shs 9.8 million to Shs 12.75 million.
The judiciary initially celebrated these adjustments, viewing them as fulfillment of President Yoweri Museveni’s earlier vows. At the Annual Judges Conference in early 2025, Gen Museveni pledged to elevate judicial pay alongside that of scientists, stating, “We are now in a position to do something for you… Our scientists and judicial officers should get comparable salaries with best practices in the region.” The promise was met with applause, signaling hope for better compensation amid ongoing economic pressures.
However, reality hit hard when July 2025 salaries arrived unchanged. Disgruntled officers turned to Mr Pius Bigirimana, the judiciary’s permanent secretary, demanding rectification.
On August 18, 2025, Bigirimana circulated a memo clarifying that the initial inclusion in the salary circular was a mistake. According to the memo, a top management meeting on August 13 revealed that Cabinet had only approved raises for specific roles like chief administrative officers, undersecretaries, commissioners, city town clerks, and municipal town clerks. Judicial officers were excluded, as their pay had previously been addressed under the Administration of the Judiciary Act.
The Ministry of Public Service acknowledged the error in a July 23 letter, advising a return to the prior structure per Cabinet Minute Extract No. 177 (CT 2021). This reversal has sparked outrage.
An anonymous Public Service Commission member argued that the judiciary’s independence means salary decisions fall under its own purview, not the ministry’s. Yet, affected officers counter this logic, noting that chief magistrates are categorized alongside commissioners—who did receive the Shs 12.75 million bump in entities like the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Justice Ministry, Police, and Prisons.
Another Officer added, “This is a variation of our salaries to our disadvantage. Regulation 31 of the Administration of the Judiciary (Judiciary Service) Regulations, 2025, states that increments are determined by Cabinet, considering economic circumstances. If we’re truly independent, why are we still listed in Public Service circulars? This ‘independence’ only seems to hurt us—we’d be better off reverting to full Public Service oversight.”
The fallout has stirred echoes of past disputes, including judges’ strikes in 2017 over similar pay grievances. Public reactions vary, with some online commenters dismissing the officers’ demands amid Uganda’s broader fiscal woes, like infrastructure shortages, while others decry the government’s inconsistency as a form of sectoral favoritism.
As resentment builds, sources indicate that strikes could loom if the issue isn’t resolved swiftly. The episode underscores deeper rifts in public sector compensation, where promises of equity clash with budgetary realities and bureaucratic oversights. For now, judicial officers await a resolution, hoping to avoid escalating the conflict into courtroom closures.
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