Kikuube Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Dorothy Ajwang and her junior staff on Wednesday, 22 March 2023 clashed before the Public Accounts Committee (Local Government).
The team from Kikuube District Local Government led by the District Chairperson, Peter Banura was appearing before the committee to respond to audit queries for the Financial Year 2021/2022.
During the meeting, Ajwang and Joel Nyangire, the Secretary to Kikuube District Service Commission (DSC) accused each other of frustrating the recruitment of new staff due to what was described as vested interests.
According to the Auditor General’s report, the district failed to absorb Shs1.1 billion out of Shs13 billion meant for wages, pensions and gratuity.
Subsequently, the money was returned to the Consolidated Fund after the district delayed recruiting staff.
Ajwang said that whereas the district has a low staffing level of not more than 55 per cent, her efforts to recruit new staff has been frustrated by the DSC that is mandated by the Local Government Act to appoint district officers.
Currently, the district is operating without a district planner, engineer, fisheries officer and senior human resource officer among others and most of the staff are holding different portfolios as acting officers.
Specifically, Ajwang pointed fingers at the Secretary to Kikuube DSC, Nyangire whom she supervises for frustrating staff recruitment processes.
“I cannot deliver without the right people in place. Internally, because of vested interests, you cannot advertise and recruit staff…And he [Nyangire] is part of the problem,” Ajwang said.
Nyangire counter-accused Ajwang of intimidation and ‘surrendering her powers’ to politicians who reportedly influence technical decisions on her behalf.
He further accused the CAO of connivance to influence the recruitment of her ‘friend’ whom she had worked with in Kibaale District as a senior human resource officer, a move which was rejected by the DSC.
Ajwang defended her move saying it was a short-term measure to fill up the existing gap in the human resource office.
She accused Nyangire of failing the process for fear that the new staff would out-compete him for an upcoming promotion.
PAC (Local Government) Chairperson, Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi expressed his disappointment with Ajwang as the accounting officer for failing to take charge of her duties.
He cited connivance by district staff to ring-fence positions, political interference and negligence by the accounting officer as major hindrances in the district.
“You need to get out of your comfort zone and do what the CAO must do. You wrote to Public Service and you were cleared to do the recruitment, what else do you need? If you can’t handle your duties then you are not fit to be the accounting officer,” Mapenduzi said.
Kiboga West County Member of Parliament, Hon. Abdul Mutumba was equally disappointed with the Kikuube CAO.
“The CAO appears not to be in charge. She claims she is being failed by a junior officer yet she is supposed to be the overall authority who supervises the junior officer,” Mutumba said adding that the district is being ruined by political interference.
“Issues in Kikuube appear to be more political than technical. These people are not recruiting new staff because it seems there are politicians who are influencing the process,” he said.
Mapenduzi directed Ajwang to ensure that all the positions are expressly advertised and filled.
