A leaked official salary structure has revealed just how much Uganda’s judicial officers are earning, casting fresh light on the ongoing debate over their demands for more pay.
The figures show that the Judiciary is already one of the best-rewarded arms of government, raising questions over claims of underpayment and agitation for new increments.
At the very top, the Chief Justice takes home a staggering shs 26.5 million every month, amounting to UGX 318 million annually.
The Deputy Chief Justice follows closely with shs 25 million monthly, while the Principal Judge earns shs 24 million.
The Secretary to the Judiciary and the Chief Registrar are each paid shs 20 million per month, firmly placing the Judiciary’s leadership among the highest earners in Uganda’s public service.
A Justice of the Supreme Court earns shs 23.5 million monthly, while a Justice of the Court of Appeal is paid shs 23 million. High Court Judges pocket shs 22.5 million each month, translating into an annual salary of shs 270 million.
The leaked documents further show that Registrars earn shs 13.8 million, Deputy Registrars shs 12.5 million, Assistant Registrars shs 10.5 million, and Chief Magistrates shs 9.8 million.
Senior Principal Magistrates Grade I take home shs 8.59 million, Principal Magistrates Grade I earn shs 6.5 million, Senior Magistrates Grade I receive shs 5.6 million, while Magistrates Grade I are paid shs 5.2 million. Even the lowest-paid magistrate earns more than five times the salary of a primary school teacher and far above what police officers, nurses or prison warders take home.
The leak also confirms that judicial officers already benefited from a hefty salary enhancement in August 2021, when cabinet resolved to elevate their pay under the Administration of the Judiciary Act. At the time, salaries for registrars and magistrates were nearly doubled, leaving them significantly better off than most of their peers in the wider public service.
Yet despite these comfortable earnings, some judicial officers have recently cried foul after government announced selective increments for categories such as undersecretaries, CAOs, commissioners and town clerks. While insiders say a large section of judicial officers are satisfied and grateful, a small vocal group is demanding even more money, portraying themselves as victims of government neglect. This has drawn criticism from other sectors, with many Ugandans questioning why officers already earning millions every month are still clamouring for more even as teachers, health workers and other civil servants struggle on meagre salaries.
The leaked pay structure makes one thing clear: judicial officers are not underpaid. In fact, they stand among the most privileged in the country’s public service.
The real debate, observers say, should be about whether Uganda can afford to keep widening the gap between well-paid judicial officers and underpaid frontline workers who keep the country running.
