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Most of the former UNRA employees employees have taken the matter to court (Courtsey Phot)
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By Our Reporter
Parliament
Former employees of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), who lost their jobs during the government’s rationalization process, have strongly opposed the January legal opinion of the Attorney General, which advised against compensating them for severance pay. Most of the affected employees have now taken the matter to court, according to Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
“The legal opinion of the Attorney General had said that they should not be given compensation,” Speaker Among revealed during a parliamentary session, emphasizing the growing discontent among the former UNRA staff.
To address the concerns surrounding the rationalization of government agencies, the Speaker has directed that the report from the Ministry of Public Service must provide a detailed, entity-by-entity update on the status of payments. This includes information on those who have been paid, those with pending payments, and the nature of the payments being processed, to ensure fairness in the entire process.
On behalf of the government, Minister of State for Finance, David Bahati, assured Parliament that the report would be tabled on Tuesday next week. The report is expected to detail, institution by institution, the process of absorbing workers from the dissolved agencies into their respective mother ministries, along with the challenges and proposed solutions.
Hon. Jonathan Odur criticized the government for what he described as making Parliament appear unserious by failing to fulfill its promise of terminal benefits to those affected by the rationalization process. He pointed out that during the policy shift towards rationalization, the government assured Parliament that funds for these payments were available, yet affected employees remain unpaid.
About UNRA
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) was a government agency mandated to develop and maintain the national road network, advise the government on road policy, and address national transport concerns. It was responsible for selecting contractors, supervising construction, scheduling maintenance, and prioritizing national road works. It was established in 2006 through the Uganda National Roads Authority Act and became fully operational on July 1, 2008. However, it was dissolved on December 23, 2024, following the signing of the Repeal Bill by President Yoweri Museveni on November 20, 2024.
As the former employees await the government’s report and the court’s ruling, the controversy over their severance pay remains a pressing issue in Uganda’s ongoing rationalization process.
Torch Media Africa
