Retirement should be a time of rest after years of hard work. But for some, it becomes a difficult journey marked by delayed payments, missing records, disputed calculations and long administrative processes.
At the centre of resolving these challenges is the Directorate of Legal Services at the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA), which receives and handles complaints from members of retirement benefits schemes across the country.
According to Doris Kahuura Rusoke, Senior Legal Officer at URBRA, complaint handling is one of the Authority’s most important public services. “It is one of the most outstanding services we give to the public as a regulator because it allows us to directly help people who are struggling to access their retirement benefits.”
Each year, URBRA handles at least 40 new complaints. In Financial Year 2025/26, the Authority handled a total of 91 complaints, of which xx had been fully resolved with payouts amounting to UGX 145,236,670.
“The complaints we receive are only a fraction of the actual problem,” Kahuura explains. “Almost everyone knows someone who is struggling with retirement benefits.”
Many retirees, especially in rural areas, do not know that URBRA can help when they face problems with their retirement benefits. Others lose hope because some complaints, particularly those involving public service pensions, take time to resolve due to budget cycles or policy-related issues beyond the regulator’s direct control.
Public awareness would ensure that people know how to seek URBRA’s support when they have complaints. “We need to go where the people are. Most retirees are in rural communities, not in boardrooms or online meetings,” Kahuura says.
Common complaints
Although every case is different, some issues appear repeatedly. Delayed payment and suspected underpayment of gratuity are some of the commonest complaints. This often happens because the formulas used to calculate benefits are technical and difficult to understand. “The formulas are quite technical,” Kahuura notes. “Even well-educated people can struggle to interpret them.”
Beneficiaries of deceased pensioners also face major hurdles. Before accessing benefits, families must obtain letters of administration or probate, a legal process that can take months or years. “The beneficiaries are really struggling,” Kahuura says. “If someone has all the required documentation, there should be a simpler and faster process.”
In the private sector, challenges commonly arise when employers try to settle financial obligations by attaching an employee’s retirement benefits after they leave service. Kahuura stresses that retirement benefits are protected by law and should not be treated as ordinary recoverable assets.
Prevention is better than resolution
While complaint handling is important, Kahuura believes the bigger opportunity lies in preventing them before they arise. Public education is central to that effort. She encourages scheme members to understand the laws and rules governing their retirement benefits, whether they belong to the public service pension system, NSSF or an occupational scheme.
Keeping employment records is equally important. “We regularly meet pensioners who are missing critical documents such as appointment letters or confirmation records,” she explains. “Keeping your employment records safely can save you enormous difficulty when it’s time to retire.”
For public servants approaching retirement, she recommends early engagement with Human Resource offices to ensure records are complete and all required documents are submitted on time.
She also believes technology can help reduce complaints. Automated reminders could alert employees several months before retirement, prompting them to verify their records and complete the necessary steps early. “If the system could automatically identify employees approaching retirement and guide them through the process, many delays could be avoided,” she says.
How to improve the system
Beyond awareness, Kahuura sees room for broader reforms. She advocates for simpler pension calculation formulas so that both members and HR officers can understand how benefits are determined. She also believes legal processes around estates and succession should be reviewed to make it easier for beneficiaries to access retirement benefits after the death of a pensioner. In addition, she recommends continued engagement with judicial officers to improve understanding of retirement benefit matters and reduce unnecessary delays while still protecting legal requirements.
Ultimately, Kahuura says reducing complaints requires action from everyone involved—regulators, employers, scheme administrators and members themselves.
She advises Ugandans to understand their retirement schemes, stay informed about the law, keep employment records safe and engage early with employers before retirement.
“Retirement should be a time of dignity,” she says. “The more informed people are, and the better prepared they are throughout their working lives, the fewer problems they will face when it’s finally time to enjoy the benefits, they have worked so hard to earn.”
On its part, URBRA will remain available to handle complaints as they come in, with the hope that one day, retirement benefits systems and processes will be smooth without anyone complaining.