After thirty years of dedicated service, Mr. Bernard Imalingat retired in 2013. His last duty station was Kumel Primary School in Ngora District – formerly in Kumi District. Imalingat, 75, now lives a quiet retirement, doing agriculture and looking after his grandchildren.

But it has not been a smooth ride as he had anticipated. His retirement journey was mainly marred by failure to access his retirement benefits, which only materialized in 2023 after URBRA’s intervention.

Imalingat says that upon retirement, he submitted his request for pension at Kumi District in 2013, and this marked the start of a ten-year wait characterized by myriad bureaucratic hurdles. The challenge mainly arose from the creation of Ngora District, originally part of Kumi District. While he had spent most of his years of service in Kumi, in retirement he belonged to the newly-created Ngora.  In the years that followed, he moved from office to office between the two districts, but his documents could not be traced in either of them.

Thank goodness for an informed relative, in 2020 Imalingat got to know about the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) and the pension complaints handling service. He promptly filed a complaint, and thus started a process that finally led to the release of his benefits in 2023.

Upon receiving the complaint URBRA initiated an investigative process to establish where the challenge lay, and to help Imalingat recover his benefits. The process mainly required verification of the retiree, and it involved working with the Ministry of Public Service, Ngora District and Kumi District Local Governments.

Although the process was drawn out, it was helped by the fact that Mr. Imalingat had all the required documents. Progress was mainly hampered by Covid19 and its related lockdown challenges. Finally, in May 2023, Imalingat was placed on the Kumi district pension payroll and his ten-year arrears were paid. He is yet to receive gratuity, but the URBRA complaints handling team is pursuing the case and there’s assurance that it will be paid.

One may wonder: why did it take so long for Imalingat to access his benefits, even after lodging a complaint with URBRA; what was the real issue between the two districts that led to such an extended delay in the release of a retiree’s benefits; and how can similar cases be avoided in the future? There may not be any straight answers, but certainly, there are many lessons to learn.

• It is important for retirees to be given pre-retirement guidance so that they know exactly where to file their documents. In a situation where a new district is created, the Ministry of Public Service, the District Local Governments should have a harmonized guideline for retirees. Should they submit their documents to the parent district or to the new district? Which of the two districts is defined as the last duty station? How should Local Governments deal with such cases that arise in the process of separation and transition?
• Retirees should seek clarity on processes and procedures to be followed while filling for retirement benefits. As soon as one senses a lack of clarity in the process of accessing retirement benefits, file a complaint. Moving from one office to another without getting a clear way forward, should be a cue to seek assistance, especially from URBRA or even from higher authorities.

• The complaints handling process largely depends on the availability of all required documents. Retirees are therefore encouraged to always be organized and have their documents ready. Information on required documents is freely available from the Ministry of Public Service and from Local Governments. Additionally, verification and reverification notices are always published in the newspapers and on district notice boards. Retirees should always be on the look out for such notices.

On its part, URBRA continues to conduct public education campaigns, through which it informs prospective retirees on how to prepare for retirement. URBRA often conducts district visits to address all issues related to pensions and retirement benefits. Members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of these interventions. They can also access more information about complaints handling from www.urbra.go.ug

As for Mr Imalingat, although he regrets the time lost as he waited for his case to be resolved, he is grateful for the breakthrough, as he narrates:

“I got to know about URBRA through a relative in Kampala and I am grateful that they took up my case and prioritised it. They promptly got in touch with the district Human Resource Office and worked hard to resolve my issue. Now I am on the pension pay roll. I am relieved that my financial security was restored, although my friends who got their benefits in 2010 are much better off than me. Over the ten years of waiting, I was involved in agriculture as a source of income but the output was barely enough to feed the family and for sale. Apart from my advanced age and frail body, there are changes in weather patterns and that affects my productivity.  If I had money, I would employ labourers because at my age I can’t dig. But if I get my gratuity I will plan better for my family. I advise people to plan ahead and always know when their retirement will take effect. Personally, I was notified of my retirement a month before I was due and that didn’t give me enough time to plan. Those who are still in employment should plan and not be taken by surprise. Everyone should aim to have a residential home before retirement so that if your benefits are delayed, you do not struggle like I did. I also request the Ministry of Public Service to facilitate the quick payment of our retirement benefits to help us avoid getting debts in old age.”