KAMPALA, Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has established a Reform Taskforce on Workers’ Compensation to develop proposals for a more reliable and equitable system that guarantees timely compensation for workers injured or killed in the line of duty.
The taskforce will also examine the possibility of establishing a National Workers’ Compensation Fund to strengthen the protection of workers and their families.
The Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Simon Mulongo, officially commissioned the committee at the ministry headquarters, tasking its members with developing proposals to address gaps in the existing compensation system.
Mulongo noted that the current Workers’ Compensation Act (Chapter 233) places the primary responsibility for compensating workers injured at work on individual employers. However, delays in processing claims, employer insolvency and weak enforcement have often left injured workers and their families without timely financial support.
“The risks arising from productive employment must not be transferred disproportionately to injured workers and their families,” Mulongo said.
He added that Uganda’s economic transformation under President Yoweri Museveni requires social protection systems that match the country’s industrial growth and ensure workers are protected against occupational risks.
The minister also highlighted Uganda’s obligations under the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 17 on Workmen’s Compensation (Accidents), 1925, which provides for periodic payments in cases of permanent incapacity or death and safeguards compensation benefits where an employer or insurer becomes insolvent.
He observed that legal provisions alone are insufficient if affected workers cannot practically access their entitlements.
“A legal right without practical realisation offers only incomplete justice,” he said.
The taskforce brings together representatives and technical experts from the ministries of Finance, Health, Public Service and Local Government, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the National Planning Authority and the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority, alongside workers’ representatives.
The committee is expected to conduct assessments of the existing compensation system, examine actuarial financing options, propose appropriate benefit packages and recommend governance structures and legislative changes.
Mulongo said Uganda could draw lessons from other countries that have established dedicated workers’ compensation systems.
He cited Tanzania’s Workers Compensation Fund, established under the 2008 law and operational since 2015, which pools employer contributions to provide medical care, disability benefits and rehabilitation services.
He also pointed to South Africa’s Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, which combines compensation with medical treatment and support for workers returning to employment, as well as Zambia’s dedicated workers’ compensation framework.
However, he cautioned that Uganda should not simply copy foreign models but develop a system suited to its local circumstances, with sustainable financing and accessible services across the country.
The minister further emphasised that improving compensation should go hand in hand with strengthening workplace safety and preventing occupational injuries.
“We should never allow compensation to become a substitute for workplace safety,” he said.
He urged the committee to consider emerging workplace risks, including heat exposure and new production technologies, while developing recommendations that promote safer working environments.
The taskforce is expected to submit evidence-based recommendations to guide Cabinet decisions on reforms aimed at ensuring injured workers receive timely compensation, retain their dignity and protect their families from financial hardship.
