Masaka City staff are incompetent, says minister
State minister for economic monitoring, Ms Beatrice Akello (standing) speaks during a meeting with Masaka City officials on November 10, 2022. PHOTO/WILSON KUTAMBA
What you need to know:
- In an interview with the Monitor on Tuesday, Ms Akello said many city employees cannot fulfil the tasks they are assigned and called for their immediate replacement.
The State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Ms Beatrice Akello, has accused Masaka City Council employees of incompetence.
In an interview with the Monitor on Tuesday, Ms Akello said many city employees cannot fulfil the tasks they are assigned and called for their immediate replacement.
She asked the Masaka City Service Commission to carry out a validation exercise.
“Most of the workers in the city are disconnected from reality, while interacting with them during my recent visit to the city, many could not answer the technical questions, which points to a bigger problem in administration,” she said.
She added that an inspection of various government projects in Masaka Sub-region revealed that there is understaffing in the city departments where one staff member runs two or more offices.
However, Mr Francis Xavier Ssekaddu, the chairperson of the Masaka City Service Commission, said the validation exercise is already ongoing.
In an interview with the Monitor on Wednesday, Mr Ssekaddu said they have completed the first step of validation, which involves transferring staff from the former Masaka Municipality to Masaka City including those from the annexed parts of Lwengo and Kalungu districts.
“We are now on the second step of identifying where the available staff can serve better. This month, the validation exercise will be rolled out to establish the vacant positions and those lacking qualifications,” he said.
The Masaka Resident City Commissioner, Mr Ronald Katende, said all city staff, except the town clerk, will be subjected to fresh interviews.
Mr Godfrey Bamanyisa, the Masaka City clerk, said they have a wage bill of Shs6.4b, which is expected to enhance service delivery in the city.
“The wage bill is now available, what is remaining is the city service commission to [complete] the validation process before advertising new jobs,” he said.
Mr Tonny Sssempijja, the Masaka City Council speaker, decried delays in recruiting staff and carrying out validation exercises, saying it has remained one of the excuses technocrats give for poor service delivery.
“This is why we want this exercise hastened to avoid further excuses,” he said.
MASAKA CITY STAFF
Masaka City has been grappling with staffing gaps for the last two years, which has affected service delivery and full operationalisation of the new city.
In the approved new Masaka City staffing structure, a total of 384 workers are supposed to be stationed at the city hall, while 246 others will be deployed in the two municipalities of Nyendo-Mukungwe and Kimaanya-Kabonera.
