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Sembabule councilors want procurement officer interdicted over misconduct
Mr Malik Mahaba , the Chief Administrative Officer of Sembabule District who was reportedly assaulted by the Senior Procurement Officer, Mr Geoffrey Tumuheirwe. Photo/Courtesy
What you need to know:
- Under the 2021 Public Service Standing Orders, interdiction is the temporary removal of a public officer from exercising his or her duties while an investigation over a particular matter is being carried out.
- Where a public officer is interdicted, investigations have to be conducted expeditiously within 3 months for cases that do not involve the police and courts, and six months for cases that involve the police and courts of law.
Sembabule District Local Government Council has recommended the interdiction of the Senior Procurement Officer, Mr Geoffrey Tumuheirwe over alleged assault and disrespecting district officials.
During a special council sitting on October 25, the councilors unanimously resolved that Mr Tuhuheirwe should step aside to allow investigations into his alleged misconduct.
The recommendation for interdiction by council follows reports that Mr Tumuheirwe pounced on the chief administrative officer Mr Malik Mahaba in his office and assaulted him after the latter raised a red flag on the way the former awards contracts and tenders in the district.
The motion to interdict Mr Tuhuheirwe was moved by the district vice chairperson, Mr Jude Kiganda during a special council sitting on October 24 presided over by the district Speaker Mr Erias Kasozi. Out of the 34 councilors, 29 voted in support of Tumuheirwe’s interdiction and five abstained.
“Justice will be served when Mr Tuhuheirwe is interdicted and disciplinary proceedings are taken against him. His behavior to assault the CAO and disrespecting other districts officials is unbecoming of a civil servant of his stature,” Mr Kiganda said.
He added that Mr Tuhuheirwe has on several occasions conducted himself in a manner degrading his office and has been unremorseful despite numerous warnings.
Available records indicate that the then Sembabule Chief administrative officer ,Mr Juma Nyende on September, 26 2013, wrote to Mr Tumuheirwe in regard to his gross misconduct, insubordination, use of abusive and intimidating language when he (Mr Tumuheirwe) found him (Nyende ) in his office.
In a letter dated September,9 2021, the District Service Commission under minute No.167/2021 directed that Mr Tumuheirwe be reprimanded as a last warning for his acts of negligence in performance of his duties.
Sembabule Resident District Commissioner ,Ms Jane Francis Kagaayi has pledged to meet Mr Tumuheirwe over the matter and convince him to apologize to the CAO.
In a telephone interview on Thursday, Mr Tuhuheirwe dismissed the allegations leveled against him as baseless and clarified that he does not have any personal grudge with Mr Mahaba .
“I am a civil servant and I am sorry I will not discuss managerial issues in the media,” he said before hanging up on phone.
Under the 2021 Public Service Standing Orders, interdiction is the temporary removal of a public officer from exercising his or her duties while an investigation over a particular matter is being carried out.
Where a public officer is interdicted, investigations have to be conducted expeditiously within 3 months for cases that do not involve the police and courts, and six months for cases that involve the police and courts of law. During interdiction, the affected public officer is supposed to receive half pay, as per the public standing orders.
