Scores of complainants and suspects are stranded in courts across the country as State Prosecutors laid down their tools over low pay and poor working conditions.
Currently the lowest ranking State Prosecutor earns a gross salary of 645,000 Shillings while those at the rank of Senior Principal State Attorney earn 2.1 million Shillings a month. The Deputy Director of Public Prosecution is paid 2.9 million Shillings; the Assistant DPP earns 2.4 million Shillings while the DPP earns 11 million Shillings.
But the Prosecutors, under the umbrella Uganda Association of Prosecutors (UAP), are demanding that the minimum salary of the lower ranking officials be raised to at least 9 million Shillings and 40 million Shillings for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
They had given the state a period of 14 days from June 23, within which to announce changes in their remuneration. The days elapsed yesterday without any change, leading to a strike that has paralyzed business in courts across the country.
In Luweero, plaintiffs, defendants and witnesses turned up at Luweero magistrate court for hearing of their cases but were told that court couldn’t proceed in the absence of prosecutors.
There are three State Prosecutors handling cases at the Magistrates and High Court in Luweero. However, only one reported to the office today.
Luweero Resident State Attorney Beatrice Alok told URN that she had turned up out of courtesy because there was a special high court session presided over by Justice Elizabeth Kabanda whom she had not earlier on informed about her absence over strike.
URN
