Uganda: Mutiny Brewing At Finance Ministry As Commissioner Refuses to Retire, Junior Managers Want Him Out

29 January 2023
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Victor Tayebwa

There is a brewing war in the Ministry of Finance as the current Commissioner Finance and Planning Godwin Kakama has declined to leave his post despite a replacement being named.

Kakama reportedly reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 in October 2022 and a replacement John Muheirwoha was named due to succeed him on January 24, 2023.

However, Kakama has instead requested through various emissaries for a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni to be granted an extension. Various reports indicate Kakama has called upon politician friends from Kigezi region to petition Museveni to grant him an extension of two years.

This has incensed middle and junior officers at the Ministry of Finance who have reportedly petitioned over Kakama's behaviour, which they argue is a worrying trend now in the ministry.

Junior and middle level officers who are expected to benefit from the retirement have vehemently opposed the retention of retiree's as it hinders their progress. When one officer at senior management level retires from the public service, it triggers an upward movement of about 10 young officers which keeps them motivated to keep serving in the service.

The refusal to retire comes at a time when the young officials have been battling with a one Patrick Ocailap, the current deputy secretary to the treasury who has refused to retire and has been able to successfully lobby for two year contracts since he clocked 60 years four years ago. They claim he has been using his political connections with politicians from eastern Uganda to ensure the success of this scheme.

This website has seen a document confirming the appointment of John Muheirwoha to replace Kakama Godwin by the Finance ministry Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi.

In a telephone call to the undersecretary of the ministry, Dr Edward Ssengonzi, confirmed that indeed Kakama is requesting for more time to prepare his handover.

The two principals of the ministry were, however, non committal on issues to do with Patrick Ocailap. This is probably due to the fact that he is a senior manager at the ministry and wouldn't wish to divulge any issues to do with his retirement

Read the original article on Nile Post.

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