Truck drivers hired to transport electoral materials to different polling stations in Wakiso district have threatened not to do the job unless they are paid the full amount of money they negotiated with the Electoral Commission.
The drivers argue that if they are not paid in full, they might never be paid in full yet they will be under armed guard as they work and the question of them absconding from duty does not arise.
By press time, the truck drivers were still stuck at Wakiso district headquarters with their lorries waiting for their money to do the job. In the previous 2016 general elections, Wakiso and Kampala, the two main opposition strongholds registered several cases of delayed delivery electoral materials with some polling stations receiving materials as late as 4 pm in the evening.
The drivers argue that if they are not paid in full, they might never be paid in full yet they will be under armed guard as they work and the question of them absconding from duty does not arise.
By press time, the truck drivers were still stuck at Wakiso district headquarters with their lorries waiting for their money to do the job. In the previous 2016 general elections, Wakiso and Kampala, the two main opposition strongholds registered several cases of delayed delivery electoral materials with some polling stations receiving materials as late as 4 pm in the evening.
The drivers were reportedly hired for Shs 200,000 and the Commission was only now willing to pay them an initial deposit of Shs 100,000 and the final Shs 100,000 after the election.
Ismail Mulindwa says that they were told that they are going to take the electoral materials to different polling stations and be given half-pay and when they come back, they get the last payment which he says that they cannot accept.
"We agreed on little money to transport the materials but now they are telling us that they are giving us half-pay of the money we agreed which we are not allowing. We want to go with all our money and we do well their work." Mulindwa said.
John Ssekyondwa says that they were found at the stage and were told that there is a job of taking election materials and upon reaching the headquarters, they were told that they are going to get half-pay.
Jamiru Mutyaba, the Wakiso Truck Drivers Association chairman says that they want all their money so that they can transport all the materials.
Ismail Mulindwa says that they were told that they are going to take the electoral materials to different polling stations and be given half-pay and when they come back, they get the last payment which he says that they cannot accept.
"We agreed on little money to transport the materials but now they are telling us that they are giving us half-pay of the money we agreed which we are not allowing. We want to go with all our money and we do well their work." Mulindwa said.
John Ssekyondwa says that they were found at the stage and were told that there is a job of taking election materials and upon reaching the headquarters, they were told that they are going to get half-pay.
Jamiru Mutyaba, the Wakiso Truck Drivers Association chairman says that they want all their money so that they can transport all the materials.
Wakiso district returning officer, Tolbert Musinguzi says that the work of transporting these materials was tendered to someone and he doesn't know why he has failed to agree with the drivers.
Source
