Panicky judiciary responds to driver who threatened to kill judge in murder-suicide

The judiciary has responded to an audio clip from one of its drivers Stanley Kisambira who threatened to commit murder-suicide so as to kill what he called overpaid judges.

Kisambira who has worked with the judiciary since 2008, voiced his frustration over what he perceives as a meager salary.

“I am a driver. I can ram into a stationary trailer, killing all the occupants – including the judge and bodyguard…The salaries for judges and clerks were raised because they don’t engage in extrajudicial financial dealings. But the plight of the driver was ignored. Drivers for judges also don’t do any other business. If the judge is on leave, I stay on duty. How do you pay me a salary of Shs 200,000 yet a bar of soap costs Shs 6,000?” Kisambira said.

Kisambira’s threats come less than three weeks after an army bodyguard Pte Wilson Sabiiti shot dead his boss and former state minister of Labour Charles Engola following a disagreement over pay. Also last week on Friday, Ivan Wabwire, a police constable shot 12 bullets and killed a moneylender Uttam Bhandari inside Rajja Chambers along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala following a disagreement over a Shs 2.6 million loan repayment. Nine bullets were found inside Uttam’s body. Kisambira has since been arrested and is being at Kampala Central police station (CPS). 

In a May 14 statement, judiciary PRO Jamson Karemani says measures have been taken to address the welfare concerns of all staff members. 

“Whereas the approved salary for drivers may be inadequate, the judiciary leadership resolved that the allowances for all non-judicial staff (drivers inclusive) in the institution be enhanced in line with CSI No.6 of 2018 on duty facilitating allowance. This was an intervention to facilitate the lower cadre of staff specifically non-judicial staff whose salaries have not been enhanced,” reads the statement.

“As a result of this intervention, each driver now receives a consolidated monthly allowance, paid out on a quarterly basis, in addition to their salary. When combined, the total monthly payment for a driver exceeds one million shillings,” the statement adds.

He explains that the payments exclude duty facilitation allowances and operational funds, which Kisambira referred to as “OP” in his audio recording. According to the statement, all judiciary staff members enjoy access to health insurance services.  

He noted that while the judiciary acknowledges that salaries of non-judicial staff, including drivers, may be low compared to workers in other institutions, management has implemented the aforementioned measures to bridge the gap and improve the welfare of its employees. 

The statement further said that management has reached out to Kisambira to provide guidance on how his concerns could have been better addressed.

“This is to assure all the judiciary staff that everything is being done within the laid down legal precincts to further address the welfare concerns of all staff of the judiciary,” reads the statement.