Summary:

• Following Dr. Patrick Isingoma’s demand, Speaker Thomas Tayebwa directs the Ministry of Public Service to update Parliament on lifting the public service recruitment ban. The ban resulted from a validation exercise revealing a significant number of unfilled positions, impacting government operations.

In response to the request from Dr. Patrick Isingoma, Member of Parliament for Hoima East City Division, for a report from the Ministry of Public Service regarding the ongoing ban on public service recruitment, Parliament Speaker Mr. Thomas Tayebwa has instructed the ministry to provide an update on when the ban is expected to be lifted.

Dr. Isingoma underscored the adverse effects of the recruitment ban on government operations within his constituency and beyond, emphasizing that services have come to a standstill in Hoima.

“In Hoima, all local governments and other public services are at a standstill due to this unending ban,” remarked Dr. Isingoma.

Addressing these concerns, Speaker Tayebwa has directed the Ministry of Public Service to furnish Parliament with a formal statement outlining the projected timeline for lifting the ban, particularly in new cities like Hoima and Fort Portal. The objective is to ensure the seamless functioning of government work nationwide.

In response to the query, Ms. Grace Mary Mugasa, Minister of State for Public Service and representative of West Division in Hoima city, informed Parliament that the matter of the public service recruitment ban would soon be deliberated by the ministry’s top management, with a subsequent statement to be presented to Parliament.

While acknowledging that the ministry had requested a payroll audit from the Auditor General, encompassing both central and local government and involving actual headcounts of employees, Ms. Mugasa did not provide a specific timeline for the removal of the recruitment ban.

“We agreed that after the production of the report, we are going to discuss it and come up with resolutions. Since it was tabled in parliament, I doubt if MPs have discussed the Audit Report on validation of staff. This report has not yet been discussed by the top management of the ministry. We are about to discuss it, then we will let you know when the recruitment halt will be lifted,” stated Ms. Mugasa before parliamentary representatives.

The ban on public service recruitment was initiated following a physical validation exercise conducted by the Ministries of Finance and Public Service to address issues such as ghost workers, as highlighted in the Auditor General’s Report ending June 2023. The exercise uncovered a significant number of vacant positions, with 60,847 out of 133,670 approved positions across various government entities remaining unfilled for over two years. The Auditor General’s report emphasizes the adverse effects of these vacancies on service delivery, leading to “reduced efficiency, increased workload for existing staff, and ultimately hindering the delivery of quality services.”