District service commissions in Teso accused of extorting money from job applicants

Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Resident District Commissioners-RDCs in Teso are up in arms against District Service Commissions-DSCs for allegedly extorting money from desperate job seekers.

The RDCs say that it has become a habit for DSC officials in their respective districts to mint cash from applicants seeking employment. According to the RDCs, the DSCs recruit staff based on personal relations and cash.

In Kaberamaido, two officials are on the spot for allegedly extorting money from an applicant for the position of health assistant. The implicated officials are Fredrick Oboi, the former LC V vice-chairperson who doubles as the Okile sub county councilor and Bosco Obwolo, a health inspector.

The duo allegedly extorted Shillings 1.2 million from the mother of Esther Anabo, an applicant. The two have denied any involvement in the alleged act. In Kalaki district, the recent recruitment was reportedly marred with personal relations to the district leaders.

The information available indicates that most of the applicants who were considered for the jobs were either relatives or friends to the leadership while others reportedly bribed their way.

Paul Mwidu Kaliwani, the Kalaki Resident District Commissioner says that his office and other security agencies are investigating some of the cases where the DSC solicited money from applicants in the recent parish chief recruitment exercise.

Mwidu said that much as several reports divulged details of how DSC and some politicians extorted money during the recruitment processes, those said to have paid the money are not cooperating with the detectives on the ground.

When the representative of Kalaki Chief Administrative Officer tried to defend the DSC during a meeting with the Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity, Rose Lilly Akello at Soroti City Council, he was silenced by Kumi RDC, Emmy Mitala who said that the situation is not different from his district.

Mitala said that the recruitment of teachers in his district was marred by bribery allegations as teachers allegedly paid up to five million shillings to secure appointments. According to Mitala, recruitment of staff at the districts should be recentralized to reduce corruption practices.

But Geoffrey Omolo, the Katakwi district chairperson said that recentralization of DSC may not help change the situation without punitive measures against the perpetrators of corruption and self-discipline.

Recently, some residents of Serere took to social media to express their disappointment in the recent recruitment of staff in the district. The residents accused the DSC of monetizing the process, something that attracted the attention of the Inspectorate of Government, Ministry of Local Government and other concerned parties.

Although most of the DSC members have denied their involvement in extortion of money during recruitment, one of the reverends who was a member of the DSC in Serere confessed to the crime on his dying bed. The reverend asked his wife to help reimburse millions of money that he allegedly solicited during recruitments in Serere.

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