During a tumultuous scene on February 29, 2024, Speaker Anita Among found herself gesturing to calm a group of unpaid casual laborers who had gathered outside Parliament, protesting over delayed payment of their salaries for five months.
The situation unfolded as Ministers, legislators, and other officials were compelled to use Parliament’s exit route to access the House, bypassing the entrance blocked by hundreds of disgruntled Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) casual workers.
Mostly composed of elderly women, accompanied by a few men wielding placards, the group descended from City Hall in Kampala, storming Parliament’s entrance to voice their grievances. These grievances ranged from unpaid salaries and National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions to threats of contract termination by KCCA leaders.
The standoff persisted for two hours, prompting Speaker Anita Among, alongside Kampala Central MP Mohammed Nsereko and Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende, to intervene. Among urged the protesters to remain calm as city leaders worked to address their salary arrears.
She assured them, “I am going to summon the leadership of KCCA, Ministry of Finance, and all MPs of Kampala for a meeting on Tuesday morning, for you to be paid.”
The casual workers highlighted issues of unpaid salaries, failure to remit NSSF contributions, poor working conditions, and threats of contract termination. They revealed that a meeting at City Hall to address these concerns prematurely ended as some councilors and workers walked out in protest.
According to one affected worker, Sazan Akatukwatsa, they received termination letters from KCCA’s deputy executive director, David Luyimbazi, signaling an end to their contracts, allegedly to coerce them into joining another company associated with KCCA.
Leaders weighed in on the matter, with MP Allan Ssewanyana of Makindye West lamenting the lack of response from KCCA’s executive director to their concerns. Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago announced the cancellation of the directive to terminate contracts and planned discussions with Parliament the following week.
Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende emphasized the workers’ plight, calling on the government to ensure they receive their rightful pay to support their families and meet basic needs.
Efforts to obtain comment from the KCCA executive director were unsuccessful at the time of reporting, as her contact details were inaccessible.
