The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least forty-one teachers and one psychiatric nurse in Luwero are facing dismissal for abscondment from duty. The affected teachers are from Universal Primary schools that include Mityebiri Roman Catholic, St Theresa Kasaala Girls, Luwero Boys, Nandere, Buyuki, Malungu, and Nambi UMEA Primary school.
Others are Balita Lwogi, Matembe, Kabuye, St Peter’s Semyungu, Lukomera C/U, and Anoonya Orthodox P/S among others. The psychiatric nursing officer is attached to Luwero hospital. Luwero District Service Commission has issued notices directing the implicated teachers and nurse to appear on Thursday 23rd February this year at 9:30am with written submissions defending their absence from duty.
Emmy Nsubuga, the Secretary of the Luwero District Service Commission has warned the accused staff that should they fail to appear in person and file their defenses, the commission may proceed to deliver its verdict in their absence.
Bernard Okello, the Luwero District Human Resource Officer explains that the accused staff appeared in the District’s Rewards and Sanctions Committee, which recommended that they are forwarded to District Service Commission to discipline them for abscondment from duty.
Okello says that some teachers have consistently been away from work for over three months without permission from their supervisors, which is against Public Standing Orders. Okello adds that the accused staff have since been deleted from the payroll till they appear before the service commission and defend themselves or else it recommends further disciplinary action including dismissal from service.
Okello says that his office is also investigating 12 other staff for drug theft, drunkenness, and absenteeism before they forward them to the District Service Commission for action. “We have intensified supervision, especially in schools, and health centers, and now we can the evidence against the accused persons from stakeholders who are not immediate supervisors. We have complaints desks at district and sub-county headquarters to enable residents to tell us who is working or not,” Okello said.
Some of the accused teachers say that they are ready to defend themselves because they were sick, and live in hard-to-stay schools while others blamed their abscondment on low pay among other reasons.
Richard Bwabye, the Luwero Resident District Commissioner has advised the accused persons to resign if they are no longer interested in their jobs. Bwabye says that some accused persons are seen in villages riding Boda bodas and vending goods in markets rather than teaching learners where they draw monthly salaries.
According to the 2022 Primary Leaving Examinations results for Luwero district, 13974 (89%) out of 15706 candidates who registered for the exams passed to join secondary schools whereas 1347 candidates (8.6%) failed and 385% (2.4%) didn’t turn up.
The District Executive Committee led by the LC 5 Chairperson, Erastus Kibirango blamed the failure of learners on the rampant absenteeism of teachers. The District Executive has since ordered the Inspector of Schools to compile an analysis of the performance of each school and present it to them so as recommend disciplinary action on those who registered a high number of ungraded candidates.
According to sections (A-N )19 and 20 of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, the responsible Officer shall stop the salary immediately and submit to the Appointing Authority for a formal directive of his or her removal from public service on the abandonment of duty. The officer who abandons duty shall forfeit all rights and privileges attached to his or her office with effect from the date of abandonment.
