Namisindwa District officials arrested over corruption

Police in Namisindwa District have arrested three officials attached to the District Service Commission (DSC) over allegations of soliciting bribes from applicants during the recently concluded job interviews in the district.
Police identified the suspects as the vice chairperson of commission, Mr Apollo Wopicho, Desmond Wekwanya and Wonekha Musoba. They were arrested on Tuesday on orders of Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Moses Kigai Wamoto.
In April, the district service commission advertised jobs calling for suitable applicants for the position of procurement officer, human resource officer, CDOs, parish chiefs, agriculture officer, security guards, teachers, and clerk to council, law enforcers, drivers, office messengers, senior assistant secretary, among others.
But, the local leaders and concerned residents raised alarm claiming that the recruitment exercise was marred by irregularities, where some applicants were asked to pay money in exchange for the jobs by the commission members.

The RDC, Mr Wamoto, when contacted confirmed the arrest of the officials, saying they were picked up by security officers after a series of investigations by his office and police.
"We have arrested three officials of DSC members after a number of people registered complaints in my office and police,” he said.
Mr Wamoto said the complainants accuse the officials of extorting money from applicants.
“There has been massive tendencies of corruption and abuse of office by the district service commission officials but we will handle them and they will vomit whatever they ate. This is NRM government, which is totally against corruption in all forms,” he said.
Trouble in Namisindwa started two weeks ago after a group of residents launched a campaign against the district leaders over corruption tendencies.

Last week, Ms Annet Mwasame, a parent to one of the applicants identified as Ms Lornah Sulwa, collapsed at the district headquarters after she found out that her daughter had been denied a job as procurement officer, yet she had paid about Shs3 millon for the position.
A case of extortion has been registered at Namisindwa Central Police station under reference GEF 002/2019.

A Police officer at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Namisindwa district who preferred anonymity told Daily Monitor that the suspects will be charged with abuse of office, extortion and corruption when police investigations are complete.
The source said preliminary investigation indicates that, the suspects received money from the victims but never gave them jobs.
The District Woman MP, Canon Grace Watuwa said: “The recruitment process must be declared null and void and fresh interview conducted”.