I’m going nowhere, vows suspended Masindi DSC boss

Masindi: On May 24, 2024, the Masindi district LCV Chairman, Cosmas Byaruhanga, suspended the District Service Commission (DSC) Chairperson, Benjamin Byarugaba, from his position with immediate effect.

Byaruhanga suspended the district service commission chairperson on grounds of abandonment of duty and failure to call meetings to conduct the district service commission business since May 16, 2023, for a period spanning a full year, among other issues.

In a letter seen by this publication on Tuesday dated May 28, 2024, Byarugaba strongly condemned the district chairperson’s decision to suspend him, saying it is baseless, irrational, and beyond his legal authority.

According to him, Byaruhanga does not possess the moral or legal right to suspend him from the position, adding that Byaruhanga’s decision appears to be driven by personal bias and does not align with the principles of fair administration in the district.

Byarugaba advised the district chairperson that if he is to remove him from the position, he should adhere to the proper legal procedure as outlined in the Local Government Act rather than acting on personal inclinations.

‘’In light of the above, I inform you that I will disregard the contents of your letter and I will continue to serve the people of Masindi to the best of my abilities. Should you choose to enforce this illegal suspension, I will have no option but to protect my rights through courts of law, at your cost and embarrassment,’’ the letter read in part.

Byarugaba further reiterated to his colleagues, members of the district service commission in Masindi, that his notice for the resumption of Masindi district service commission meetings still stands and they shall continue with their duties and conduct meetings as scheduled.

When contacted, the Masindi district LCV Chairman, Cosmas Byaruhanga, said that the district service commission’s letter is baseless and he will not be allowed to share the district service commission meeting until further notice.

‘’His letter is baseless because I suspended him after failing to share the DSC meeting for a year, and I wanted other members to continue sharing the meeting as investigations continued,’’ he said.

Byaruhanga asserted that if he feels he is not content with his suspension, he should seek redress in court. ‘’I was appointed through the letter and was suspended through the letter, and it’s my letter to bring him back to office. If he feels uncontent, he should go to the courts of law because the court can as well bring him back to the office.’’

Byarugaba’s suspension

The Masindi district LCV Chairman, Cosmas Byaruhanga, has suspended the district service commission chairperson, Benjamin Byarugaba, with immediate effect.

According to Byaruhanga, the decision has been reached due to abandonment of duty and failure to call meetings to conduct the district service commission business since May 16, 2023, for a period spanning a full year.

In a suspension letter dated May 24, 2024, Byaruhanga said that this is unacceptable but also deeply costing the people of Masindi and also the country at large.

‘’The services of the district service commission are direly needed, which you are, from your past conduct, not willing to dispense,’’ the letter reads in part.

The letter further states, ‘’the district and/or civil service whose proper functioning I monitor as executive head has pending recruitment, confirmations, retirements, regularization, reinstatement, pension issues, etc. that require the input, approval, and minutes of the district service commission that for a long period have not been forthcoming.’’

Byaruhanga also stated in the suspension letter that Byarugaba’s arbitrary refusal to call for and hold meetings has held the district service commission and its users at ransom, which is not untenable.

‘’These emissions expose the district to the unwarranted risks of heavy litigation, loss of wage, shortage of human resources, poor service delivery, and/or even death due to failure to recruit health workers in our health centers, which, as a district head, I cannot watch on continue unabatedly,’’ the letter stated.

The district chairperson also stated that Byarugaba’s conduct has raised concerns about his ability to fulfill the duties and responsibilities expected of someone in his position.

‘’I have in the past written to you to correct this trend and improve the service delivery in your commission in vain. Your fellow commissioners also wrote to you, beseeching you to call for meetings in vain,’’ the letter stated.

‘’You even defied a court order; to that effect, I have been left with no option except to suspend you from office immediately pending investigations into your conduct. The rest of the commission members, when quorate, shall conduct the commission business in your absence during the period of your suspension,’’ the further stated.

Byaruhanga also stated that during the suspension of the district service commission chairperson, he is required to refrain from performing any duties associated with the chairperson role, and he is expected to cooperate fully with any investigation that may be conducted into the matter.

‘’Please be advised that this suspension is temporary, pending investigations into your conduct and review of your performance by the responsible authority,’’ the letter read, in part clarifying that Byarubaga will be informed of any developments or decisions regarding his status as soon as possible.

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