Uganda officers salary has officially been harmonized across top security ranks, sending ripples through the country’s administrative and security corridors. A new government directive, effective 2025/26, levels the pay for Commissioners, Senior Commissioners, and Assistant Inspector Generals of Police (AIGPs) to a striking Shs12.75 million per month.
This move, confirmed in a circular signed by Catherine Birakwate, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service, puts an end to the long-standing salary imbalances that plagued the upper ranks of Uganda’s law enforcement agencies.
Salary Disparities Erased in One Bold Stroke
Previously, salaries within these ranks varied wildly. A Commissioner of Police took home Shs7.8 million, a Senior Commissioner earned Shs10.6 million, and an AIGP in legal services got Shs8.7 million. At the top end, scientists in AIGP roles pocketed Shs12.75 million, while others in general service earned just Shs7 million.
This disparity fostered quiet discontent and fueled demands for fairness. Now, that divide is gone. All senior officers across the Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service holding equivalent ranks will receive identical monthly compensation.
In the updated structure, Commissioners and Senior Commissioners—often deputy directors—and AIGPs—typically heads of directorates—will all earn equally, regardless of specialization or department. The reform introduces a level of equity rarely seen in Uganda’s civil service payroll.
The Bigger Picture: Phased Reforms and Rising Morale
The realignment follows last year’s sweeping salary shake-up, which doubled the pay for Uganda’s highest-ranking officers. The Inspector General of Police and Commissioner General of Prisons, along with their deputies, saw their monthly pay leap from Shs6.8 million to Shs15.4 million.
But it’s not just the senior brass benefiting. In a move that reflects broader government intent, junior ranks also saw increases. Special Police Constables, the lowest-ranking officers, had their pay raised from Shs375,200 to Shs440,000. Other junior officers gained between Shs64,000 and Shs79,000 per month.
This effort to lift morale across the ranks speaks directly to President Museveni’s phased approach to public sector reform. Since 2019, he has emphasized that critical infrastructure, health, energy, and science sectors would take priority before salary bumps could be widespread.
“Government must first address the most critical sectors before we can talk about pay rises,” Museveni stated during a 2019 policy address. “But the increases will come in phases, starting with the most essential categories.”
Now, five years later, those phases are materializing. The harmonization of the Uganda officers salary structure is more than a monetary adjustment—it’s a political signal, a morale booster, and a long-awaited act of equity.
As the country pushes ahead with its national development agenda, fair compensation in the security sector stands as a pillar of operational efficiency and loyalty.
For more on Uganda’s evolving security dynamics, explore the UPDF shooting in Lwemiyaga here, the troubling rise in livestock theft by ASTU officers here, the chilling reality of unsolved murders across Uganda here, and a report on the Kalerwe suicide bomber incident here.
