For nearly four years, 65-year-old David Turyatunguka has been trapped in a painful retirement after discovering that money which was deducted from his salary while working for Coca-Cola was never remitted to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), leaving him unable to access benefits now estimated at more than UGX 52 million.
The former crate loader, whose appointment letter shows he started working for Century Bottling Company, the makers of Coca-Cola in Uganda, in August 1996, says he spent years performing physically demanding work only to find himself abandoned when age and illness caught up with him.
Turyatunguka says he developed a serious back condition in 2021 that left him disabled and unable to continue with the strenuous duties required at Coca-Cola. His condition worsened, forcing him to stop working in 2022.
However, when he turned to NSSF for his retirement benefits, he says he encountered a shocking obstacle, with records showing that despite deductions, for years, being made from his salary, the corresponding NSSF contributions had not been fully remitted by his employer.
He reported the matter to NSSF, which investigated the complaint and reportedly found merit in the old man’s claims. And as a result, penalties were imposed on Century Bottling Company for the non-remitted contributions, significantly increasing the amount now due to the former employee.
According to documents related to the dispute, the total amount currently being pursued stands at approximately UGX 52 million, including penalties arising from the alleged failure to remit the statutory deductions.
Yet despite the NSSF findings, the money remains unpaid.
The development has left the elderly man in a desperate situation, battling both disability and financial uncertainty while waiting for benefits he believes he earned through decades of hard labour.
After years of lifting heavy crates and helping build one of the world’s most recognizable beverage brands, Elderly Turyatunguka now finds himself fighting a global company for retirement benefits that should have been available the moment illness forced him out of employment.
The 65-year-old says he remains hopeful that the company will finally settle the outstanding amount and allow him to access the money he needs to support himself in retirement.
