Govt to streamline recruitment at districts
Job seekers check if they were short listed by Public Service at Kololo Airstrip recently. File photo
What you need to know:
- Mr Mukasa says there have been concerns that some districts prefer hiring people who are born there which locks out the necessary requisite manpower and curtails service delivery.
The government has laid out a blueprint to fight alleged corruption during recruitments by District Service Commissions (DSCs), the minister of Public Service, Mr Muruli Mukasa, has said.
Mr Mukasa says there have been concerns that some districts prefer hiring people who are born there which locks out the necessary requisite manpower and curtails service delivery.
“There is a tendency by some districts to only give jobs to people born in those districts whom they refer to as sons and daughters of the soil even when they lack the required skills.
The minister was speaking at the weekend during the thanksgiving of Mr Titus Kisambira, the former Jinja District chairperson, who lost re-election in 2021 and was appointed commissioner in the Ministry of Public Service.
“The fresh graduate doesn’t have the experience; so you should hire a person with the necessary skills, competencies, and experience; even if they are not a son or daughter of that district instead of saying we only want a person from this district,” he said.
Subsequently, Mr Mukasa said they have a blueprint, which they are using to follow up activities of DSCs, including carrying out inspections and spot-checks.
Mr Nelson Kirenda, the chief administrative officer of Bugweri District, said since the district was carved out of Iganga in 2018, they haven’t filled up all the vacancies because the Ministry of Public Service gives clearance based on the wage bill.
“We have been seeking clearance. What happens is that people are hired in acting capacity; but usually an acting appointment means taking full responsibility,” Mr Kirenda said.
Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Premier, thanked President Museveni for ignoring age provision in making appointments.
“I did my job, wrote the letter and thanked President Museveni for ignoring that provision. He saw that Kisambira was our boy from Busoga and an NRM cadre. Work hard and don’t shame me because you will have embarrassed the entire Busoga,” Ms Kadaga said.
Rev Patrick Wakula, the bishop of Central Busoga Diocese, who was the main celebrant, decried massive corruption in government institutions.
“There is a 30-year-old boy who got a job and was being paid Shs2m per month; but within six months, he had constructed a house worth Shs350m. There is no way you can own a house worth Shs350m in six months yet you earn Shs2m per month. We prayed for a senior thief at the age of 30 years,” Bishop Wakula said.
Fundraising drive
At least Shs10m was raised in cash and pledges towards the construction of St Peter’s Cathedral in Central Busoga Diocese, whose fundraising drive was kick-started last week by the Archbishop of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba.
