KAMPALA – Retired Judicial Officers in Uganda can now boast of an enjoyable and peaceful retirement following the Government’s commitment to consistently pay their enhanced benefits on a monthly basis.
“This is to inform all beneficiaries that I received approval to pay, on a monthly-basis, retirement benefits from January to June 2021,” said Mr. Pius Bigirimana, the Judiciary Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary.
“Accordingly, retirement benefits for the month of January have been paid. The process to pay those of February shall be paid before 15th February.”
Last month, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development released Shs6.27 billion to cater for the judicial officers’ retirement benefits arrears for the period of July to December 2020.
Mr. Bigirimana, while appreciating the Finance Ministry for the timely release of the funds, said the latest release would ensure that the officers “retire honourably” with a monthly pay “by the 15th day of every month”.
There are 224 retired judicial officers on the Judiciary retired officers’ payroll. These include Justices and Judges, Registrars and Magistrates, including the retired Chief Justices, Deputy Chief Justices and Principal Judges.
The Administration of the Judiciary Act (AJA), 2020, which came into effect in June last year, revised the retirement benefits of all retired Judicial officers. The enhanced benefits are
“exempt from tax”.
According to AJA, a retired Chief Justice (CJ) and Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ) are paid a monthly retirement benefit equivalent to the salary payable to a sitting CJ or DCJ “for life”.
Other Judicial Officers from Supreme Court Justice down to a Magistrate Grade Two, including the Principal Judge, are paid “a monthly retirement benefit equivalent to 80 per cent of the salary payable to (their serving counterparts) for life”.
The government also pays each retired Judicial Officer “a one-off lump sum retirement benefit equivalent to 2.4 per cent of his/her annual salary multiplied by five and the years of
service.”
Where a judicial officer dies while in service, their families are paid the one-off lump sum retirement benefit, plus the monthly pension for 15 years. Where the officer dies during retirement, the families are paid the monthly payment “for the unexpired period of the 15 years”.
Karemani Jamson K. Public Relations Officer | Solomon Muyita, Principal Communicatio
