Speaker Blocks Equal Opportunities Commission from Accessing MPs’ Salary Details

Kampala: Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has instructed the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) to cease requesting detailed information on the salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff. 

Speaking on the matter, Among emphasized Parliament’s status as an independent government institution and questioned the EOC’s interest in such information. “For the Equal Opportunities Commission to ask for the details of salaries and allowances of MPs and parliamentary staff is going beyond their mandate,” she said, maintaining that the Commission should focus on its core responsibilities. 

Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka supported the Speaker’s position, stating that the EOC’s mandate is restricted to addressing issues affecting marginalized groups. He promised to offer legal advice to clarify the entity’s requests. 

However, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda defended the EOC’s request, arguing that access to salary details is vital for ensuring equality and making necessary comparisons. 

The EOC had officially requested the Clerk to Parliament to provide the information, but Speaker Among firmly rejected the demand, insisting that no such data would be shared. 

This standoff has reignited debates about the scope of the EOC’s authority and the independence of Parliament as a government institution.