Panic as Kyotera District Service Commission Secretary Vacates Office on Interdiction

There is a growing anxiety among Kyotera district local government staff following the interdiction of Aaron Muyonga Kayinga, the District Service Commission Secretary over irregular recruitments.  

Kayinga, who also doubles as the Principal Human Resource is being investigated for abuse of office and corruption.  The Chief Administrative Officer, Fred Kalyesubula directed Kayinga last week to handover office to his deputy; Teddy Nakyanzi to pave way for investigations.

Kalyesubula accordingly ordered for re-verification of the academic papers of all staffs recruited in the past three years Kayinga has been in office.  The verification exercise was instigated by reports that Kayinga fraudulently recruited unqualified staff into various positions after pocketing bribes during interviews.  

There are reports that Kayinga has been doctoring minutes of the District Service Commission in his capacity as Secretary through, which he would sneak in unqualified candidates. Notably in May this year, the district conducted interviews for various positions.

However, out of 20 slots advertised for Parish Chiefs, only ten were shortlisted for interviews. The rest were recruited without passing through the due procedure.  Patrick Kintu Kisekulo, the Kyotera District LC V, says they received information from whistle blower indicating that five of the parish chiefs have forged academic papers.     

He says the District Executive Committee resolved to conduct a verification exercise of all staffs, prompting the CAO to take action towards eliminating unqualified staff and possible ghosts. Kisekulo also says they obtained reports indicating that some of the people on the list of newly appointed staff are out of the country on foreign employment. 

One of the appointees is a secondary school student who was allegedly sneaked into the system. The verification exercise has triggered panic among staff at the district headquarters at Kasaali in Kyotera Town council. Some of the staffs URN approached for comment including the District Forest and Commercial Officers declined to speak on the matter. 

Rose Nalubowa, the Chairperson Kyotera District Service Commission has welcome the verification exercise, saying it help them to restore the Commission’s repute as well as weed out incompetent staff who could have jumped the system. 

Efforts to speak to Kayinga, the interdicted Human Resource Officer proved futile as his known mobile phone contacts were turned off. The same officer was arrested last week after one of the applicants reported him to police for soliciting bribe from him with promises of giving him a job in vain.