KCCA grilled over failure to use Shs4b to recruit teachers, medics
The chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), Mr Joel Ssenyonyi
What you need to know:
- The Cosase probe followed some of the major ills raised in the Auditor General Report 2022 which among others revealed that KCCA had unutilized Shs13.5billion.
The Parliament's Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprises (Cosase) has grilled the top bras at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for failure to utilize Shs4.9billion to hire teachers and health workers in its jurisdiction.
Lawmakers on Cosase led by its chairperson Joel Ssenyonyi were irked by “KCCA's failure to execute its mandate on hiring the highly needed staff, consequently compelling government to channel the said funds back to the consolidated fund.”
The probe followed some of the major ills raised in the Auditor General Report 2022 which among others revealed that KCCA had unutilized Shs13.5billion.
Of this, Shs3.16billion was meant for recruitment of teachers while Shs1.73billion was intended for recruitment of health workers under the KCCA vote.
“KCCA manages a number of health facilities and schools that have staff shortages. Many of the health facilities don’t have enough health workers but we have Shs13.65billion sent back…why? Mr Ssenyonyi asked.
In a similar way, the Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi said KCCA’s failure to recruit health workers and teachers pointed to the City Hall’s inadequacy.
“You can’t tell us that recruitment will take ages when health and education are key. Most of the health workers aren’t monitored. Health facilities don’t have health workers. We hear a lot of cries from schools and now you are telling us money was sent back because you failed to recruit,” Nkunyingi said as he rebuked KCCA.
In defense, the KCCA human resource director Grace Akullo admitted that her office was notified about the need to recruit at least 42 health workers in April 2022 although only 10 new health workers had been taken in following the increment of salaries for health workers.
"However, we wrote to the Ministry of Public Service and requested for more wage but we haven’t received feedback yet,” Ms Akullo said.
