Mukono finally has a District Service Commission after 2 years of bickering

Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The District Service Commission (DSC) of Mukono district has been sworn in after a three-year standoff.

Mukono has been operating without a service commission since March 12, 2022, because of fights between district chairperson, Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, and the former commission’s chairperson, Stella Margret Kiondo.

On Thursday Mukono Chief Magistrate Recheal Nakyazze presided over the swearing-in of the new members of the District Service Commission at the District Chairperson’s office.

The commission is headed by Engineer Dr. Godfrey Kibuuka Kisuule , Arthur Blick Mugerwa as a member representing persons with disabilities, Idris Semakula, Stella Margret Kiondo, and Lydia Nakachwa as members.

The Chief Administrative Officer, Elizabeth Namanda said the appointment of the commission was long overdue. She said that the absence of the commission had deepened the human resources crisis in Mukono.

According to Namanda, the district has about 230 vacancies for classroom teachers, 51 head teachers, and 41 deputies.

The district’s health department has a gap of 166 health workers, and about 99 staff in the district are required including the District Health Officer, Chief Finance Officer, and Senior Planner, Community Development Officer among others.

“With the recent national assessment from the prime minister’s office, the district was greatly affected leading to the loss of some grants under the World Bank due lack of department heads. For instance, we lost about 400 million shillings in the last financial year intended to support the irrigation scheme due absence of the senior agricultural officer,” said Namanda.

The Resident District Commissioner, Fatumah Ndisaba Nabitaka appealed to the new commission to exhibit high levels of integrity and also avoid working under pressure from political leaders.

“You’re an independent body, recently faced with several allegations of corruption tendencies, please prove the critics wrong by providing diligent services,” Ndisaba noted.

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