Uganda: Security Guard Locks Out Civil Servant Workers Over Salary Arrears Delay

A Ugandan security guard employed by Njeru Central Division, Njeru Municipality in Buikwe District of Uganda on Monday locked about 50 government workers out of the administration block over alleged nonpayment of salary arrears.

Karim Kanku, 67, claims to have gone through difficult times, including his family going without food, paying housing rent and school tuition, and is demanding around Shs1.8m in wage arrears that have accumulated over the previous nine months.

When employees arrived for work on Monday morning, they were surprised to discover the whole administrative building closed. 

Visitors to the Council were impacted by the development, and some employees used it as an excuse to step out of work.

It is still unknown how Kanku obtained the keys, but sources claim that because he had been employed by Njeru Municipality for more than 30 years, he had earned some respect from the hierarchy.

“If they are terminating my work because of locking the offices, let them do so; but they should pay the money they owe me for the past nine months. 

"I have tried to be patient all this time as if I don’t have responsibilities at home,” he said.

Kanku claims he has worked both the daytime and nighttime shifts, frequently skipping yearly leave. 

He also claims that he has asked the Council to add another security guard so that he may share the duty with them, but that his request wasn't complied with.

In addition to being a guard, Kanku claims he worked with seven other support staff members to manage rubbish in the municipality. 

He is seeking two months' worth of salary back pay, but his coworkers are seeking three months' worth of back pay.

Kanku and the garbage collectors expressed their concerns to Michael Odeba, the Njeru Central Division Chairperson, whose office was similarly shut. He said that the Central government was to blame for the problem.

“Our challenge as Local Government now is the new system where the money that is collected is first sent to the central government and it takes time to be sent back. 

However, we are going to look into how to pay their money,” Odeba said.

Later, Odeba and a few security personnel persuaded Kanku to reopen the offices while his case was being investigated, which he did.

Njeru Central Division Town Clerk Henry Sekagya stated that Kanku will receive his money "as soon as possible." 

When asked if Kanku would be retained after receiving his arrears, Sekagya said it would depend on his willingness to continue working.