Jobs: Ministry investigates Kikuube district over corruption

KIKUUBE– The Ministry of Public Service has started to investigate kikuube District Local Government officials and politicians over allegations of extortion and corruption in the recruitment of workers.

The State Minister for Public service, Grace Mary Mugasa said that the Ministry has picked interest to investigate claims of officials asking job seekers for money.

Minister Mugasa said they have received several complaints from several applicants and concerned citizens who are tired of corruption in the district. The District Service Commission [DSC] is in charge of the recruitment of new staff.

The Minister who was in Kikuube district last Friday to launch Abasigyi Clan SACCO in Bumbongo Parish in Kabwoya Sub-county disclosed that some members of the DSC and district leaders are extorting money from employment seekers, even though some of the latter end up not being shortlisted for interviews.

The victims say officials ask for money ranging from Shs 500, 000 -Shs 2 million from the applicants promising to help them secure jobs in the various departments.

The Minister made the comments following a recent audio recording that went viral on social media last week where an applicant who had applied for a job as a midwife, accused one of the members of the district executive committee of asking for Shs 2mln if she was to get to a job she had applied for.

“I have had several cries of people complaining about some of the members of the district service commission and district leaders who are soliciting money from job applicants. People who are legible are not given jobs simply because they cannot pay,” she said.

She said asking applicants to pay for the jobs applied for traumatises the poor parents who have struggled to see their children through school. “The parents of such people [ job seekers] sell their piece of land to educate their children but at the end of it all, they also have to sell another of land to pay for the job,” the Minister worried.

She disclosed that her  Ministry was also investigating claims of nepotism in the recruitment of workers in the district.“Another issue that is very annoying is that there are complaints of nepotism in the recruitment process. We are going to investigate it to its logical conclusion,” Mugasa vowed.

Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner [RDC] said that he is overwhelmed by complaints tabled before his office pinning the officials whose particulars have been concealed for fear of jeopardizing investigations.

Tumusiime noted that recently he petitioned the state House Anti-corruption Unit [ACU] that has started investigating the matter.

Tumusiimes confirmed that recently the Public Service Commission [PSC] in Kampala wrote to the Kikuube Chief Administrative Officer [CAO] demanding an explanation over the same issue after several complaints were raised against the officials.

The Kikuube district Chairman, Peter Banura said that his office has received several claims of job selling adding the district has set up a complaints desk where the victims should report and help the district to investigate.

He noted that the district is not in any way responsible for the selling of jobs in the district, adding that some district officials involved in this act are doing it as individuals.

Banura condemned this act of corruption in awarding district jobs, adding that the district is ready to investigate and punish the culprits.

Francis Kazini, the Buhaguzi Member of Parliament said it is a shame that Kikuube district which was created recently is on the list of the most corrupt districts. He wants ACU to expedite investigations into the matter so that the culprits are apprehended.

He also said that he had received complaints from several people accusing Kikuube district officials of asking for money before they can give the people jobs. He said that staff seeking promotion are being demanded bribes ranging from Shs 5mln -Shs 10mln.

It is said the PSC has written to the district demanding clarification on irregularities in the recruitment after they received complaints regarding the recruitment of the Physical Planner, Ronny Bahugure, and Community Development Officer, Nelson Atumanya among others in what appears to be a series of corruption scandals in the district.

https://thecooperator.news/kikuube-residents-pick-tools-to-repair-road/

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