Masaka city leaders demand review of recruitment process of parish chiefs

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Masaka city leaders are demanding a review of the recruitment process of parish chiefs who are meant to oversee the implementation of the Parish Development Model program in the area.

Towards the end of last year, the government undertook a nationwide exercise to recruit parish chiefs to coordinate the Parish Development Model-PDM, which targets to harness income-generating projects at lower level administrative local council units.

However, the leaders in Masaka city led by Florence Namayanja, the City Mayor, her executive council, and the area Members of Parliament have raised reservations in the recruitment process of parish chiefs in the area, questioning the impartiality of the panel that interviewed the candidates.

The leaders have in their meeting with the heads of departments demanded a thorough audit of the recruitment exercise before the successful candidates are issued with appointment letters and eventually deployed to their respective duty stations.

Abed Bwanika, the Member of Parliament for Kimanya-Kabonera Division says he has obtained reports about selfish conducts that allegedly played out during the recruitment process, and that as a result, many competent people were dropped.

According to Bwanika, both the advertisement of vacancies and interviewing of candidates were done in haste and secrecy, which raises serious questions about the competency of candidates.

There have also emerged allegations of bribery to some members of the Masaka District Service Commission who conducted the interviews. Juliet Kakande, the Masaka City Woman MP says that there is a need to clearly examine the qualifications and identification details of the successful candidates towards ensuring that they qualify for the jobs.

Namayanja accuses the office of the city clerk of deliberately ignoring her advice against using an external service commission to conduct the recruitment exercise, something that also raises serious suspicion about the intentions.

Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, also MP for Nyendo-Mukungwe division, and Robert Asiimwe, the Masaka City Resident Commissioner have agreed to have an inquiry into the recruitment process to address the alleged anomalies.

These have asked Godfrey Bemanyisa, the Masaka City Clerk to allow serious scrutiny into the qualifications and identification details of the newly recruited parish chiefs and town agents to ensure transparency of the process.

Godfrey Bemanyisa, the Masaka City Clerk denied having any direct influence in the recruitment process of parish chiefs, explaining that they operated under very tight deadlines by the Ministry of Local government hence the cited hurry.

He however says his office is ready to conduct any investigations and rectify the challenges if brought to his attention.

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