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Army Witholds Pay For AMISOM Returnees

By: Our Reporter

Published: November 13, 2014

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UPDF soldiers who served under AMISOM battle group 12 will not receive their two months pay until they report for duty after their month break.

The soldiers, who returned to Uganda on Saturday, have not received their salaries for the months of September and October, despite confirmation from the African Union that the monies have arrived.

The soldiers were treated to a party at the Army Urban Warfare Training School in Singo on Wednesday and are expected to start a month leave on Monday.

However, sources have intimated  that, the soldiers will only receive their money after reporting for work from leave.

General Katumba Wamala, the chief of Defenses Forces said it is true that the army will only pay the two month salary after the soldiers return from their leave and report to their respective units.

He explained that they have had incidents in the past where soldiers after getting their allowances do not return to the army.

Wamala also explains that most soldiers from Somalia have poor spending habits that they end up spending all the money from the mission in fancy things like cars and motorcycles adding that, by the time they return, they have little or no money to sustain themselves.

He says holding back the salaries is a form of financial management on behalf of the soldiers.

Many soldiers approached to speak about the matter shied away fearing to be reprimanded by their superiors.

The soldiers are entitled to up to UGX 15 Million each in salaries for three months.  Battle group 12 will also walk home smiling after the President donated cows to them and the CDF Wamala also promised a monetary contribution to their transport back home.

The battle group is most famous for liberating Barawe port, an economic nerve centre for the Al-shabab, in October.