SAVE US! Water Ministry on Spot as Meteorology Graduate Trainees Go 12 Months without Pay, Official Contracts

A group of 30 graduate trainees who previously worked under the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) say they have gone over a year without pay following the merger of the authority into the Ministry of Water and Environment.

The trainees, who were first recruited in November 2018, claim they have continued performing official duties — including collecting and transmitting weather data from regional stations to the head office in Luzira — despite not being on the government payroll. They claim to have not been paid since September 2024.

“We are still working, but we have not been paid or appointed officially. They keep telling us to wait for the Public Service adverts where we shall apply under a special case,” said one of the affected trainees, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The situation reportedly affects staff deployed at weather stations across the country, including Kampala and other regions.

The Uganda National Meteorological Authority was among the 24 agencies affected by the government’s Rationalisation of Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) programme, which saw it reverted to the Ministry of Water and Environment as a department.

Officials from the Ministry of Public Service have previously stated that all affected employees would either be absorbed or compensated under the Shs73.6 billion package allocated for pensions, gratuities, and severance pay.

However, the trainees insist that no formal communication has been made to clarify their employment status.

“We are still doing our work, yet we have no contracts, no salaries, and no appointment letters,” another trainee lamented.

The Ministry of Water and Environment had not yet responded to our inquiries by press time.

About Post Author