Leaders urge govt to lift staff recruitment ban

ULGA president, Mr Richard Rwabuhinga, made this plea on Saturday during a press conference in Fort Portal City.

He pointed out that many districts have allocated funds for salaries in their budgets, yet they are unable to recruit additional staff to fill vacant positions required to effectively implement various government programmes.

“At the conclusion of the 2022/2023 financial year, all districts in the country returned a total of Shs734 billion to the Treasury. Notably, more than Shs200 billion of these funds had been allocated by the districts for wage expenses, but unfortunately, the districts were unable to expend these funds. As a result, these funds were returned to our districts and we now have the financial resources to recruit new staff as per our budget, but regrettably, we are not permitted to proceed with staff recruitment,” he said.

He explained that, on average, 65 percent of the staff positions in all districts across the country are currently occupied, leaving a significant 35 percent of positions still vacant, saying the shortage of critical staff has left many districts struggling to effectively implement government programs, resulting in the unavailability of certain essential services.

At the commencement of the 2023/2024 financial year, the Ministry of Finance issued a circular stating that there would be no staff recruitment during this fiscal year. This decision was made to provide the government with the necessary time to complete a comprehensive audit of the public sector payroll, which aims to determine the actual number of civil servants.

Mr Rwabuhinga said Shs734 billion, which was returned to the Treasury at the conclusion of the previous financial year, has now been reallocated back to the respective districts saying this reinstatement of funds is intended to empower districts to effectively execute their planned activities.

“The Local Governments are at the forefront of public service, and if budgeted funds for wages remain unused, they may be reallocated, causing a shortfall in service delivery,” he said.

Mr William Kasoro, the chairman of Ntoroko District, revealed that five of the 10 departments have vacant positions at the top, posing challenges such as delayed decision-making.

He, however, said the district is currently stuck with Shs6 billion allocated for new staff.

“The district is constrained with a wage budget of Shs6 billion, preventing us from recruiting any new staff due to the imposed ban. We currently face a shortage of five key department head positions, including the district health officer and their assistant, as well as the natural resource officer. Filling these positions is essential,” he said.

Mr Kasoro highlighted the need to fill approximately 40 teaching positions within the district.

Mr James Ategeka, the chairman of Bunyangabu District, raised concerns about unutilised funds from the previous financial year (2022/2023), where Shs12 billion allocated for wages were returned to the Treasury. 

“Some of the heads of department positions remain unfilled, leaving our staffing level at only 65 percent. We urgently require the recruitment of more teachers due to retirements and unfortunate passing. We remain hopeful that the government will lift the recruitment ban after the validation exercise,” he said.