By Mulengera Reporters
Earlier this year, key departmental leadership positions were filled at the Luzira-based Ministry of Water & Environment. In total four positions were impacted namely Commissioner Rural Water Supply & Sanitation, Assistant Commissioner Rural Water Supply & Sanitation and Assistant Commissioner Soil & Conservation at the Entebbe-based MAAIF-and the entire recruitment process involved the Public Service Commission, as is required under the law.
After the Public Service Commission (PSC) was done with shortlisting and even proclaimed names of successful candidates who went ahead to assume duties at the MWE, a whistle blower petitioned the IGG claiming that some Commission members had been compromised to favor some candidates while disadvantaging others. It was also claimed that some of the shortlisted candidates lacked the requisite academic qualifications for the respective jobs.
The IGG, in her Wednesday 4th November letter has since directed the PSC Secretary to repeat the entire process because, in her view, undue influence was exerted on some PSC members to favor particular candidates, which not only disenfranchised other applicants but also discredited the entire recruitment exercise and deprived it of the much-needed integrity.
The latest directive by the IGG will, quite predictably, expose the GoU to very costly litigation as some of the officials negatively impacted by the Inspectorate’s intervention had already taken office and are already months into the job. They are likely to feel aggrieved and will naturally pursue protection under the established legal framework by dragging the Attorney General to court.
In the end, should their litigation succeed as they seek atonement for the injustice occasioned, it’s the taxpayer who will lose as a lot of money will have to be paid as damages. The same intervention by the IGG constitutes good news for the MWE Minister Gen Kahinda Otafiire since he himself has had reservations about some of the people who the PSC recruited for the impugned lucrative positions. Watch this space! (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
