Wakiso DSC officials probed over extortion

WAKISO. Police in Wakiso District are investigating members of the District Service Commission (DSC) over extortion and corruption allegations in the controversial staff recruitment processes.

According to Wakiso District Police Commander, Mr Justus Tashobya, police opened the investigations following reports that some members of the service commission were soliciting bribes from unsuspecting job applicants at the district before sitting interviews.

“It is true we are investigating some of them [DSC members]. We have reports that they have been blackmailing people and extorting money from applicants, promising jobs which are not available. We also have reports of certain people flouting staff recruitment procedures,” Mr Tashobya told Daily Monitor.

According to preliminary investigations, suspects have been receiving the bribes through mobile money system and police are yet to write to different telecommunication companies to avail them with printouts to help them in further investigations.

This comes on the heels of uncertainty and anxiety at Wakiso District headquarters following reports of sacking of all senior staff in four municipalities after their positions were declared vacant by DSC recently.

But some of the prospective victims are not sitting back. They have written to Wakiso District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Luke Lokuda, asking him to withdraw the February 14, 2018 advert that was run in the Daily Monitor newspaper.

The Public Service Commission guidelines of September 2016 recommend that internal interviews and assessment be carried out for serving, qualified and deserving staff. However, the affected staff say there is no reason to outsource new employees.

Consequently, Makindye /Ssabagabo acting Town Clerk , Mr Othman Ssebadduka on February 19 wrote a four point letter to Mr Lokuda communicating the dissatisfaction of his staff.

“The Town clerk recommended staff for appointment on promotion, regularization, appointment in service and vacancy declarations. No response has been received from the District Service Commission and to our disappointment, majority of the positions in the advert were recommended for re-designation and promotion,” Mr Ssebadduka wrote.

He said that some staff in the municipality are convinced that the advert contravened the guidelines for the implementation of the New Local government Structures from the Ministry of Public Service issued in September 2016.

“Having received the new approved customized structures from the permanent secretary of Public Service, Makindye/Ssabagabo reviewed and assessed all employees’ files and recommendations were made on November 9, 2017 to District Service Commission for consideration,” Ssebaduka added in his letter.

On February 14, the Wakiso District Service Commission acting Secretary placed an advert in Daily Monitor newspaper calling for suitable candidates to apply for at least 46 slots. Applicants were given March 10, 2018 as deadline for submitting their academic credentials. Some of the key positions advertised include; deputy town clerks, senior assistant town clerks, treasurer, senior human resource officers, municipal engineers and accountants. Entebbe, Nansana and Kira municipalities each had 11 positions advertised, Makindye/ Ssabagabo Municipality (10 positions) while three are at the district headquarters.
Wakiso District has a direct control of seven town councils and nine sub -counties but also supervises the four semi-autonomous municipalities of Kira, Entebbe, Nansana and Makindye/ Ssabagabo.

Some of the critics of the job advert have since labelled the exercise, a corruption and blackmail move intended to put staff at ransom and yield money for DSC officials.

“Whoever placed the advert knows that all processes as stipulated in the 2016 guidelines for implementation of Local Government structures have been flouted. You cannot advertise jobs where there are people already,” one of the victims and a staff at Nansana Municipality complained.

But Wakiso District Deputy CAO, who also doubles district human resource officer, Mr Hajj Wasswa Masokoyi, said that although they advertised externally, the current office bearers will be given priority.

Wakiso District Service Commission secretary, Mr Mukasa Sewankambo said they acted within the law.
“Whatever we are doing is under the relevant rules and regulations,” Mr Ssewankambo said.

Wakiso District Service Commission has previously been shrouded in controversy over similar allegations and this forced the district chairperson, Mr Matia Lwanga Bwanika, to interdict the former service commission chairperson Charles Ssekyewa in 2016 over alleged misconduct and lack of integrity.

Bwanika accused Ssekyewa of failure to follow the established procedures in recruitment of staff.
Ms Mariam Mutalaga who was a deputy to Ssekyewa was then appointed as acting district service commission chairperson. She was later replaced with Ms Gemina Namatovu Ssemogerere as substantive DSC chairperson.
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