Government vows to delete absentee public servants from payroll

Warned. Public Service minister Muruli Mukasa addresses the press in Kampala on Monday. PHOTO BY COLLEB MUGUME

What you need to know:

  • The minister’s directive coincides with Chief Justice Bart Katureebe’s outcry over increasing levels of absenteeism in the Judiciary.
  • Touring Masaka chief magisterial area which also houses the High Court recently, Justice Katureebe decried the high rate of absenteeism among judicial officers, especially in the upcountry magistrate’s courts.

KUMI/MASAKA. Public Service minister Muruli Mukasa has announced that public servants who absent themselves from duty for two weeks without permission will have their names removed from the payroll and those who abscond for two days will have their salary deducted.
The minister, who is currently on a nationwide tour of Local Governments, was on Wednesday attending a consultative meeting in Kumi District, where he reminded public servants that “this is Kisanja hakuna mchezo” [no nonsense term] and intended to drive the country to achieving a middle income status by 2020.

Tackling the problem
To track the attendance of “corrupt” public servants the government blamed for the poor service delivery in the various sectors of the economy, Mr Muruli ordered all accounting officers (Permanent Secretaries and Chief Administrative Officers) to get tough on the problem of absenteeism in civil service.
The minister cited absenteeism and non-compliance with the standing orders as one of the evils that had plagued Public Service and hampered service delivery. He complained that most civil servants do not stay near their duty stations but have always opted to commute from distant places even if accommodation is available nearby, resulting in late coming and absenteeism and early departure.

“If one is ever absent but want to earn full salary, that is corruption and criminal and punishable by law,” Mr Muruli said.
The minister’s directive coincides with Chief Justice Bart Katureebe’s outcry over increasing levels of absenteeism in the Judiciary. Justice Katureebe said absenteeism will not be tolerated and asked all judicial officers to keep time.
Touring Masaka chief magisterial area which also houses the High Court recently, Justice Katureebe decried the high rate of absenteeism among judicial officers, especially in the upcountry magistrate’s courts.
He condemned the act of absenteeism not only among the judges and magistrates, but also other court support staff, which he said paralyses the process of administering justice on time.
The Chief Justice tasked the Masaka Court administrators to introduce a registration book where all court staff must register on arrival and sign-out after office work.