Staff Reporter
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Mr. Benjamin Kumumanya, has issued a stern warning to stakeholders involved in corrupt practices related to the recruitment of unqualified workers. He emphasized that state authorities will actively pursue those engaged in such corruption.
Mr. Kumumanya highlighted that hiring unqualified personnel through corrupt means undermines service delivery and results in significant losses for the country, a practice that must be stopped immediately.
He made these remarks during the closing ceremony of a two-day Western Regional Training Workshop on the Balanced Scorecard, held at Dream World Hotel Ruharo Kamukuzi in Mbarara City. The workshop was attended by selected human resource managers, community development officers, and district planners.
Mr. Kumumanya praised several districts for their effective fight against corruption in staff recruitment, including Pakwach, Agago, Namutumba, Kyankwanzi, and Bunyangabo. He noted that these districts have customized their job advertisements to clearly state that bribes are not required, a practice he urged all local governments to adopt.
Regarding salary enhancement, Mr. Kumumanya explained that the government has a structured plan for phased salary increases due to budget constraints. He urged public servants, especially those working in police and prisons, to remain hopeful and patient, as they are among the 380,000 public workers serving a population of over 44 million.
He also warned that any public servant caught engaging in corruption will face severe penalties as stipulated by Ugandan law, including dismissal, retirement in the public interest, dismissal without benefits, or demotion.
Mr. Kumumanya stressed that combating corruption requires serious enforcement, commitment, and diligence in following up on offenders to ensure that only the good are retained in public service.
