Civil servants to be sacked for absconding from duty in Serere

Serere, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 10 civil servants from Serere District Local Government are in the verge of losing their jobs after allegedly absconding from duty for several months.

The affected officers include the agricultural engineer, parish chiefs and the district commercial officer who recently returned from a mission in Ethiopia. The officers are reported to have abandoned their offices in pursuit of personal engagements for several months.

The Serere Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Richard Ssajjabi Bukone says that some of the officers especially the parish chiefs abandoned the parishes they were deployed in as they stayed in their respective home parishes.

“We have sought guidance from the Solicitor General on how to proceed with this matter after presenting details of each officer. As a district, we need services but these officers draw salaries every month for the work they are not doing,” said Bukone during a community Barraza in Kabulabula Primary School in Kadungulu Sub County on Thursday.

According to Bukone, the affected officers have been warned many times over their conduct but haven’t changed at all to continue in service.

The Serere Woman MP, Hellen Adoa Abeku says that the decision of the district is long overdue since absenteeism is one of the factors responsible for poor service delivery in the district.

In 2023, Bukone told our reporter that he had struck off the then Acting District Commercial Officer, Simon Opolot and his wife, Miriam Arayo who was also employed as Parish Chief in the district from the payroll when they left for Ethiopia without any communication.

But Opolot, who recently returned from Ethiopia said that he needed his job back. “I came back for my job. I left the job which has been the source of livelihood for the entire family. I apologize to my boss for failing to communicate when going out but I thought we would return before my leave expired,” said Opolot in an interview recently.

Opolot is among the 273 missionaries from Serere and Ngora districts who went to Ethiopia in February 2023.

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