Government releases new public service salary scales

Uganda’s government has unveiled a new public service salary structure for the 2026/27 financial year, maintaining its policy of giving priority to scientists, teachers and specialised technical professionals while leaving the salaries of many political leaders and other public servants unchanged.

The revised salary scales, which took effect on 1 July 2026, are contained in Circular Standing Instruction (CSI) No. 3 of 2026 issued by the Ministry of Public Service. The directive applies to employees across ministries, departments, agencies, local governments, the education and health sectors, security agencies, the judiciary, legal services, aviation, intelligence bodies and constitutional institutions.

Among the biggest beneficiaries are chief state attorneys, whose monthly salaries have increased from about Shs 8.6 million to Shs 12.8 million. Senior commissioners in scientific cadres within the security services have also seen their salaries rise from roughly Shs 8.6 million to Shs 12.8 million, while other specialised science officers in the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service have been moved to higher salary scales.

The education sector has also received additional salary enhancements. Education assistants, commonly known as Grade III teachers, will now earn about Shs 700,000 a month, up from Shs 500,000. Head teachers’ salaries have increased from about Shs 1 million to Shs 1.5 million, while deputy head teachers will now receive around Shs 1.4 million, compared with Shs 750,000 previously.

Science teachers continue to earn considerably more than teachers of arts subjects under the government’s differentiated pay policy. Although arts education officers have received salary increases of about Shs 500,000, many still earn less than Shs 2 million a month, compared with science teachers whose salaries remain above Shs 4 million.

Senior officers in the mainstream public service have also benefited from significant increases. Assistant commissioners will now earn about Shs 6.5 million per month, up from Shs 1.6 million, while deputy commissioners have moved from approximately Shs 1.8 million to Shs 6.5 million. Commissioners will earn around Shs 12.5 million monthly, and principal officers about Shs 4.5 million.

However, many graduate professionals on the U4 salary scale remain below Shs 1 million per month, highlighting continuing disparities across the public service.

Political leaders were largely excluded from the latest review. Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) will continue earning about Shs 2.3 million per month, while deputy RDCs remain on about Shs 1.3 million and assistant RDCs on approximately Shs 820,000. Salaries for senior presidential advisers and presidential advisers also remain unchanged at about Shs 2.4 million per month.

The salary structure follows Parliament’s approval of the 2026/27 national budget, which allocated Shs 9.7 trillion to the public sector wage bill, an increase of approximately Shs 1.1 trillion compared with the previous financial year.

During consideration of the budget, Parliament’s Budget Committee reviewed proposals for salary enhancements covering scientists, teachers, health workers, judicial officers, security personnel, RDCs and other categories of public servants.

However, the committee warned that the government’s phased salary enhancement programme should ultimately address pay disparities across the wider public service.

The latest adjustments are in line with the government’s ongoing salary enhancement policy, which has in recent years prioritised scientists and specialised professionals in sectors including health, education, engineering and security.

The government says improved pay is intended to attract and retain skilled professionals in areas considered critical to Uganda’s industrialisation and socio-economic transformation agenda.

The policy has nevertheless faced criticism from arts teachers, local government leaders and other public servants, who argue that it has widened salary inequalities within government employment.

Days before the salary structure was released, Bardege-Layibi MP Martin Ojara Mapenduzi called for better remuneration for local government political leaders.

He argued that district chairpersons, councillors and other elected local leaders shoulder significant responsibilities but continue to earn modest salaries and allowances, “a situation he said undermines morale and service delivery.”

The newly approved salary structure indicates those concerns will remain unresolved for now as the government continues to prioritise scientists and specialised professionals under its phased salary review programme.

The Ministry of Public Service has directed all accounting officers to implement the approved salary scales within their respective wage budgets with effect from 1 July 2026.