Minister reveals plan to empower supervisors to discipline errant civil servants

The Uganda Public Service Standing Orders are undergoing revision to empower supervisors to take immediate action, including dismissal, against employees who fail to adhere to their job descriptions. 

According to Minister of Public Service, Mr Wilson Muruli Mukasa, the current standing orders create lengthy processes for disciplining civil servants, which ultimately affects service delivery.

"Currently, a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) or Resident District Commissioner (RDC) cannot dismiss or suspend a civil servant outright. The process requires oral warnings, written notices, and months-long intervals for responses. This ends up wasting time and compromising service delivery," Mr Mukasa explained.

The existing disciplinary process can take years to resolve, with each step requiring extensive documentation and response time. This has led to severe service disruptions, particularly in cases of absenteeism. 

Mr Mukasa noted that some employees, especially women, seek protection from political leaders after being reprimanded, claiming harassment.

The proposed amendments aim to empower supervisors to enforce discipline among their subordinates effectively. 

However, Mr Mukasa acknowledged that when employees who have been terminated take their cases to court and win, districts are often burdened with heavy costs, including reinstating the employee, paying arrears, and covering court fees.

"This situation is unsustainable, the Cabinet has directed us to address these issues. We are working on revising the Employment Act to grant immediate supervisors the authority to discipline workers within the confines of the law," Mr Mukasa said.

Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Ms Anne Muhairwe, also cautioned district and city service commissioners against soliciting bribes from job applicants, emphasising that positions should be awarded based on merit to ensure that qualified individuals serve the public effectively.

"Why recruit unqualified individuals with forged documents? You’ll find that some health workers who lack proper education are being hired, yet they are the ones tasked with treating people. This happens because of bribery. You don’t need a law to recognize this as wrong," Ms Muhairwe said.