Mutagamba to appoint forestry director from controversial list

The Water and Environment Minister, Ms Maria Mutagamba, is this week expected to appoint the Executive Director of the National Forestry Authority from a controversial list forward by the board.

Reports indicate that a list containing four names pending the ministerial appointment that is slated to end a nearly two-year period without a substantive executive director includes former Kabarole District chairman, Mr Michael Mugisa, who was twice rejected for lack of experience at a managerial level of an organisation.

Candidates available
Other candidates include Mr John Peter Mujuni, the Assistant Country Director with UNDP, Mr Francis Magambe Byaruhanga (Lead Consultant on Infrastructure project-Sudan) and the Finance and Administration Director with Uganda Manufacturers Association, Mr Nicodemus Mugira.

Daily Monitor reported on December 26 that NFA was set to receive an executive director after the board recommended Mr Mugisa as the best candidate.

According to the story, 19 other candidates, including outgoing National Water boss William Muhairwe, acting Clerk to Parliament Emmanuel Bakwega and former state minister for Water Jennifer Namuyangu, applied for the job.
Reports about the recruitment exercise indicate that Mr Mugisa was rejected by a consultancy firm- JAVA Consultants that was hired by NFA to handle the search exercise and the NFA board.

According to documents obtained by this newspaper, on January 31 2011, Java Consultants submitted a report regarding the preliminary process indicating that Mr Mugisa scored 45 per cent and as such was not short listed for failure to get the 70 per cent pass mark.

However, Java’s report and recommendations were ignored and the position was re-advertised. September 2011 interview results by the NFA board indicate that Mr Mugisa was not short listed over lack of experience at a managerial level.
But in November 2011, the same board recommended Mr Mugisa out of the 12 candidates after he scored 70 per cent, the cut-off point.

Petition
Last week, a participant in the recruitment process petitioned the Inspector General of Government, Mr Raphael Baku, to stop Ms Mutagamba from selecting the forestry boss pending investigations.

“This is a very sensitive public office and any appointments that will not have followed the due process will no doubt continue to bring our government into disrepute, certainly in our quest to fight corruption,” reads part of the letter sent to Mr Baku.

Mr Baku yesterday confirmed receiving the complaint last week. “We are still studying the complaint because it has just come to us. We have not made any decision yet,” he said in a telephone interview.

ekasozi@ug.natonmedia.com