KCCA creates 742 jobs to streamline operations

Kampala- A total of 742 jobs at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) are up for grabs as the acting executive director, Mr Andrew Kitaka begins implementing his city plans.

Mr Kitaka said the jobs would be advertised soon to regularise all staffing levels where only 391 employees are contracted on permanent terms while 742 are temporary.

“We are working with the Ministry of Public Service and the Public Service Commission (PSC) and they have approved our organisation structure,” Mr Kitaka made the revelation last Thursday during an interview with Daily Monitor.

“Recently, they approved our job descriptions and the next step is for them to now regularise these jobs. However, these posts are going to be advertised and competed for,” he said.

Mr Kitaka was responding to a question on why majority of employees at KCCA were working under temporary terms yet there are successful candidates who were given appointment letters by Public Service but were never offered jobs.
However, he said employees who are currently holding positions scheduled for advertisement will be given leeway to compete for the same job.

“We shall give them an opportunity to apply for these jobs when we advertise them,” he said.

Asked when this exercise would commence, Mr Kitaka said KCCA will have an update on the matter from the Public Service Commission by February.
The positions to be advertised include among others, directors, deputy directors, managers, supervisors, officers and support staff.

Justice Ralph Ochan, the PSC chairperson, could not corroborate Mr Kitaka’s revelation as he is on leave.

But the Minister of Kampala Affairs, Ms Beti Kamya, last year said she had tabled the matter before the President for guidance.

According to statistics from KCCA’s directorate of administration and human resource, which Daily Monitor has seen, KCCA has a total 1,133 staff.
But out of these, only 391 are employed on permanent terms while 742 are on temporary terms.

However, the recruitment of temporary staff by KCCA’s technical team has always raised eyebrows, with politicians at City Hall describing it as “illegal.”
For instance, while addressing journalists last week, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago tasked government to fill up all temporary positions to enable the institution operate “smoothly.”

“Majority of KCCA directors are holding officers in acting capacity.
Both the executive director and deputy executive director are on temporary terms. Why can’t the appointing authority have substantive employees in these positions? How do you then expect these temporary staff to be held accountable?” Mr Lukwago asked.

He warned that all employees who joined KCCA ‘illegally’ should start leaving, adding that council would pronounce itself on this matter.

While appearing before the authority’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC)last year, the former KCCA executive director, Ms Jennifer Musisi, said all the KCCA temporary staff serve a four-month renewable contract.

Ms Musisi said some of the staff are head-hunted to fill certain positions.
But members said the authority had no powers to recruit staff.

The KCCA executive director, the deputy executive director and all the directors are appointed by the President while other employees in lower positions are supposed to be recruited by the Public Service Commission.

Appointments blocked
Early last year, Ms Musisi wrote to Public Service Commission asking them to appoint four employees in senior positions in the institution.
The positions include deputy executive director, director Information Technology, director Treasury services and deputy director Administration and Human resource.

These positions fell vacant following the resignation of some employees, leaving seniority gaps which Ms Musisi sought to fill.

However, the PSC declined to appoint the directors on grounds that the executive director had not submitted critical details of the proposed employees as per the Uganda Public service Standing orders.

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