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Information coming on this media indicate that Pte Wilson Sabiti who turned the gun and shot himself was servicing two loans from Wazalendo savings and credit cooperative an army initiative while another from a commercial bank.
….”It’s true that he was facilitating loans with banks. He has a loan with post bank and as well as Wazalendo Sacco. That means that with his salary ( 480,500) he was taking home some thing like 130,000 ,”Col Deo Akiiki revealed to this media.
However he noted that investigations are still underway into the shooting citing out that there was no cogent information that the shooting was triggered by financial stress.
However it was also not possible to establish the size of the loans that this late military guard was servicing. Post bank and Wazalendo Sacco would not say.
In addition employees are usually not allowed to take loans that leave them with less than 30% of their basic after Pay as you earn and contributions to the National Social Security Fund.
However soldiers are exempted to pay PAYE or make any contributions to the NSSF and that means Sabiti would take home Shs 144,150 per month.
Salaries of all personnel in the armed forces were enhanced in 2021. A private in the army ( the rank at which Sabiti was ) earns a minimum of 466,933 and a maximum of Shs 497,748.
Elsewhere non commissioned officers are paid a minimum of Shs 501,493 and a maximum of Shs 573,331.
Defence and Veteran Affairs minister Mr Vincent Ssempijja on September 15,2022 alluded to the need to increase salaries of the army’s rank and file to match the enhancements of salaries of senior officers.
While it was not possible to establish what Pte Sabiti’s actual salary was, a few officers we spoke to revealed that it was around 480,500.
However various sources we interacted with suggested how the late military guard was living on hand to mouth having five children in school and a three year old who wasn’t studying.
Although he struggled to pay school fees for his children in senior Three and primary Seven his sister Musiimenta Oliver called the headteacher of the schools and allows them to sit exams.
Thus publication has also established that Pte Sabiti’s biological children were only four, the other two were his uncle’s children.
Other accounts claimed Col Engola owed Pte Sabiti Shs 4 million in unpaid salaries but the army and family members including the minister’s son George Olong roundly dismissed these accounts.
However Pte Sabiti was taking home under Shs 150,000 according to Col Akiiki calculations though it’s widely claimed by people in Kyanja that Sabiti was staying in a cheap rented place near Col Engola’s home though it is still unclear weather it was the minister Sabiti paying for the said accommodation.
In addition it was also not possible to establish whatever the guards that were part of Col Engola’s entourage shared a single accommodation space.
Ms Anita Tendo a tea supplier said she had been supplying Engola’s escorts with tea and snacks on daily basis.
“They still owed me some money Ms Tendo added without revealing the cost at which she was providing the tea and snacks to soldiers.”
Col Akiiki said the ministry of defence gives out of pocket and subsistence allowances to its personnel who may be working out if station. Out of pocket caters to meals and water while subsistence caters for accommodation and other expenses.
However the amount varies depending on the rank but the minimum amount payable to a private is 550,000 and those assigned to government ministries and departments are however not eligible for such allowances.
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