Africa-Press – Uganda. Six months to retirement, the bank alert messages from government for retirement on the pay slips shocked Wilson Mugisa Kasenene, a retired teacher.
“When I went to the bank to pick my salary, I was shocked when I found there alert messages from government on my pay slips saying I had six months to go. I had not prepared adequately because my children were in secondary school and were using part of my salary,” Mugisa says.
To prepare for retirement, Mugisa was advised to fill forms and take them to Kampala to be able to receive his retirement package (pension and gratuity) later. It took him six more months to receive the package.
At that time, Mugisa says he learnt that soon he would be going to the village without adequate finances. And there was a lot of work ahead of him.
To start preparing for his retirement, he requested for another transfer to be near his home in Busimba village Bigodi Town Council. He was posted to Bigodi Primary School up to June 2013.
Work
Mugisa, 68, started teaching as a Grade II teacher after graduating from Butiiti Primary Teacher’s College, Kyenjojo in 1979. In 1980 he worked at Bigodi Primary School then in Kabarole District, and worked in various schools before retiring 33 years later at the same school.
He taught at Bigodi Primary School for five years and was promoted to head teacher and transferred to Kanimi Primary School from 1985 to 1986. In the same year, he upgraded and became Grade III teacher after graduating from Kyabenda Teacher’s College in Kamwenge District.
In 1986, he was transferred to Kiyoima Primary School up to 2000 and later transferred to Nyabubare primary School where he spent 10 years as a head teacher. He left the school in 2010.
Mugisa says he did not have enough money because in his first years at work he earned Shs 505 and after taxes, he would remain with Shs377 which he used to look after the family.
“It was hard for me to save from such a meagre salary I had other responsibilities at home that required money. It took me about six years to buy an extra pair of trousers,” he says.
He says there was a time when he took nine months without getting a salary from the government. Thereafter, Obote became President and their salary scale was enhanced to Shs 7,000 and again increased to Shs120,000 then Shs200,000 when President Museveni took over.
At his fish pond.
Preparation
Mugisa says during their days of service, salary was too meagre to cater for teachers’ needs.“With six years to retirement and an enhanced salary, I bought plots of land near my home, planted eucalyptus and bought cows,” Mugisa says.
He says retirement requires one to invest in assets because when one retires, the responsibilities increase, especially when one still has school- going children.“Before you retire you need to have money, not liquid cash but in investments and if you have not saved part of the money you get more problems and also it needs proper planning,” he says.
Mugisa invested in cattle rearing, fish farming, coffee plantations, and piggery and real estate in Bigodi Town Council. His biggest regret is failing to plan properly for children while in active service. When he retired his children were still in secondary school.
“When I retired when my children; six girls and one boy were still in school, I was paying fees for Senior Five, Senior Three, Senior Two, also fees for grandchildren,” Mugisa says, adding, “I wish I had started a business to supplement my salary to top up tuition,” he says.
Advice
Mugisa says people should not have much hope in the retirement package or pension money because it is not enough to sustain one after retirement unless they have other investments.
“People ought to start preparing early for retirement by investing in some business to generate money for the future. People believe that after retirement they will get a retirement package, it’s not enough at all even others take long without receiving it,” Mugisa says.
He says it took him six months to receive his entire package and it was Shs15m which he used to invest more in farming and renovating his house, pay fees and build his real estate in Bigodi Trading Centre.He urges the government to consider enhancing the salary of teachers and also increase their monthly pension, saying he currently receives Shs290,000 as pension, which is inadequate.
Typical day
The 68-year-old man who lives in Busimba Village in Bigodi Town Council, wakes up at 7am and starts small activities at his home that involves supervising his employees and takes his breakfast at 9am.“I don’t do much work because I was diagnosed with diabetes. I supervise my projects, go to the farm to see my cows. After, I go to my makeshift cinema in Bigodi Trading Centre,” he says.
In brief
• Wilson Mugisa Kasenene started as a Grade II teacher after graduating from Butiiti Primary Teacher’s College in Kyenjojo District in 1979. A year later, he was posted to Bigodi Primary School where he spent five years.
• He was promoted to head teacher and transferred to Kanimi Primary School where he taught from 1985 to 1986 and in the same year, he upgraded to Grade III teacher.• In 1986, he was transferred to Kiyoima Primary School and in 2000, he was then transferred to Nyabubare Primary School where he spent 10 years.
• He was transferred to Bigodi Primary School as a teacher and retire in June 2013.
