Minister Mugasa accused RDCs, district chairpersons, and CAOs of pressuring DSCs to give jobs to their relatives or individuals who bribed them.
The State Minister for Public Service, Grace Mary Mugasa, has cautioned local government leaders against sabotaging the operations of District Service Commissions (DSCs).
Ms Mugasa attributed the recruitment of incompetent employees to corrupt practices within local government structures.
Speaking at a local government budget consultation meeting for Buganda South districts in Namanve, Mukono, Mugasa expressed concern over the widespread manipulation of the recruitment process by local leaders.
She accused Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), district chairpersons, and Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) of pressuring DSCs to give jobs to their relatives or individuals who bribed them.
"You, the local leaders at districts, have embarrassed the government among the educated youths and the educated poor due to your corrupt tendencies," Mugasa stated.
The minister also raised concerns about the extended appointment of acting officials in public offices without confirmation, calling on district human resource managers to advertise positions to ensure that competent individuals are recruited.
"This business of appointing acting officers in government offices must stop. If someone has acted for six months and you have found competence in them, please confirm them. Human resource officers should also advertise the jobs for competent people to fill them," she added.
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In response, Nakasongola District Chairperson Sam Kigula highlighted the issue of corruption within the Ministry of Public Service itself.
He recounted how his daughter, despite having earned a first-class law degree, was asked to pay exorbitant fees by officials in Kampala to secure a job.
On the matter of budget allocations, district leaders voiced their concerns about the underfunding of local governments, particularly for road maintenance.
Masaka District Chairperson, Andrew Batemyetto, pointed out that many roads are affected by wetlands, making maintenance a significant challenge.
Kawempe Mayor, Mr. Serunjogi, urged the government to reduce the powers of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and allow division authorities to operate independently, managing their own tax revenues rather than being fully controlled by KCCA.
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, in a message delivered by Mugasa, advised district leaders to prioritize the maintenance of productive road networks with the allocated Shs1 billion per district, which the government has committed to maintaining for the fiscal year 2024-2025.
He also stressed the importance of completing USMID and UGIFT projects with the supplementary budget of Shs129 billion, warning that there will be no further extension.
