Gulu District officials cry out over politics, funds

Gulu. Acholi Sub-region District Service Commission (DSC) chairpersons have decried the inadequate funding and political interference in their work.
“Our political leaders want us to recruit their relatives and friends who sometimes don’t meet the requirements for the jobs advertised and when we don’t satisfy their demands, we are castigated and this has affected our integrity,” Mr David Lakwide Kinyera, the Pader DSC chairperson, said.
The chairpersons raised the challenges during a meeting on Friday with the parliamentary select committee probing district appointments that took place at Gulu District Council hall.
Gulu DSC chairperson, Mr Mak-mot Kitara, said the commission is operating on a shoestring budget that was trimmed from Shs60 million last financial year to Shs16 million this financial year for both administrative and staff facilitation.
They said this has crippled service delivery since they lack funds to monitor the performance of civil servants at their various duty stations.
“I have only one poorly serviced desktop computer without internet services which does not give me time to execute my job very well since we are into a digital world,” Mr Mak-mot added.
The chairman of Lira DSC, Mr Moses Otyek, said: “The politicians are not happy with us because we are following our set principles very well.”
He added that they have never been paid for the past two years due to lack of funds. Mr Otyek said being financially handicapped has placed their integrity at stake as the public accuses them of soliciting money during job recruitment.
The Appointments Committee chairperson, Mr Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga, also Member of Parliament Kalungu West, lauded DSCs for opening up and promised to table their concerns on the floor of Parliament.
“These pertinent issues will be followed up closely with the responsible minister and we shall also push for a better budget enhancement,” Mr Ssewungu said.

“In the eyes of the people we serve, we are corrupt and they have lost trust in the process of recruitment, there are fears that service delivery at the district level will be affected,” he said
“Our job is so tempting and demanding, yet we are the most under paid. The budget that is meant to ease our work keeps on being reduced thus tempting some people to accept bribes from the employees they are recruiting. Government should value the commission by enhancing the budget to enable us to execute our duty as required.” Mr Otyek said
MP Chua West County, Kitgum Mr Polly Phillip Okin Ojara, acknowledged the political interference tormenting the DSCs saying he was once a victim.
“There is a strong political interference in the public services, I was once a victim of the circumstance that when you tell me what you are going through; I can’t deny it,” Mr Okin said
The Appointments Committee chairperson, Mr Joseph Ssewungu Gonzaga, also Member of Parliament Kalungu West lauded DSCs for opening up and promised to table their concerns on the floor of parliament.
“These pertinent issues will be followed up closely with the responsible minister and we shall also push for a better budget enhancement,”Mr Ssewungu said.
In April 12 letter to all accounting officers, the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Keith Muhakanizi, directed that no recruitment should be carried out and told chief administrative officers that wage allocations for that financial year will only be provided for posted staff. End