Masindi risks returning Shs6 billion to the treasury
“If we leave this work for the new council, unfortunately we shall lose the wage. We are looking at people who have retired recently; if we don’t recruit, that wage is lost because the wage we secured has a deadline of June 30th,” he appealed.
Masindi: Masindi District risks losing a wage bill worth 6 billion shillings due to the absence of a district service commission to recruit civil servants meant to utilize the funds.
The crisis follows the expiry of the terms of office for two members of the district service commission, including the chairperson, Dr Benjamin Byarugaba.
After the expiry of their terms, the district executive committee presented two names to the previous district council for approval to replace the commissioners. However, council rejected the names and instead recommended the renewal of the terms for the two former members.
This prompted the district Chief Administrative Officer to seek guidance from the Public Service Commission, which advised the district either to present fresh names for approval or borrow the services of a neighboring district’s service commission.
During the district council sitting on Friday, the district chairperson, Cosmas Byaruhanga, sought permission to table a motion requesting council approval to borrow the services of the Nakasongola District Service Commission.
“During the discussions of the adoption of the order paper during the previous council, the motion to borrow the service commission was not seconded and I withdrew and submitted the names of new members of the DSC commission but were also rejected by the councilors,” he said.
Byaruhanga explained that council instead approved names that had not been proposed by the executive, prompting consultations with relevant ministries and authorities, which advised the district either to appoint new commissioners or temporarily borrow another district’s service commission.
However, the district speaker, Moses Kiirya, rejected the request, arguing that the earlier motion had formally been withdrawn and could only return after a motion rescinding the withdrawal was introduced.
In response, Byaruhanga urged the speaker to treat the matter as urgent, warning that failure to recruit staff before the end of the financial year could result in the district losing the wage allocation.
“If we leave this work for the new council, unfortunately we shall lose the wage. We are looking at people who have retired recently; if we don’t recruit, that wage is lost because the wage we secured has a deadline of June 30th,” he appealed.
Simon Byaruhanga,the male youth councillor, also appealed to the speaker to suspend the rules of procedure to allow the executive to table the motion, citing the urgency of the matter and the potential impact on the district.
“The rules of procedure talk about suspension of rules in case there is an emergency matter. What is important is Masindi district not losing the wage bill,” he submitted.
Despite the appeals, Speaker Kiirya maintained his position and declined to allow the motion to be tabled.
“That item was last on the order paper. The item was withdrawn and before we can change the resolution of the council, we must first follow the procedures,” Kiirya ruled.
Several councillors who attended the sitting condemned the speaker’s decision, arguing that it could negatively affect service delivery and employment opportunities in Masindi District.
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