A whistleblower has petitioned Lt Col Edith Nakalema, the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, to investigate the Irene Mulyagonja led Inspectorate of Government (IG) over corruption, delayed confirmation of officers in acting capacity and irregular recruitment of Inspectorate Officers.
In a letter received by the Anti-Corruption Unit on March 2019, the whistleblower said the environment at the IG prohibits any staff from addressing their grievances with the system.
“We appeal to you to you not to leak this letter because just by looking at the selection of words, grammar, fonts etc one of us may be identified, and the consequences will surely be fatal. We write in good faith, and pray that your office shall take action on this matter,” the whistleblower stated
He/she said most of the employees in the regional offices were handed letters of assignment [care taking] to fill and serve in positions of Regional Inspectorate Officers [Principle Inspectorate Officers] in various regional offices [Fort Portal, Arua, Moyo, Hoima, Tororo, Gulu, Lira etc] in Financial Year 2015/2016 and were promised to be confirmed in those positions after six months but up to date nothing has ever been done.
“After one year of serving in these positions, the officers requested to be confirmed. However, they were told that the institution had maxed out the wage bill, so confirmation could not be made. Management later added that since these officers were ‘just’ caretaking, they did not qualify to be confirmed in appointment [and yet this has always been the case- officers and handed letters assigning them duties of a Regional Inspectorate Officer or Deputy RIO and about eight months, they would get confirmed]. If they were in care taking positions, then why are they being paid Acting Allowance? Either way, it would be irregular [care taking and earning Acting Allowance and/or Acting in a position for more than 12 months].”
According to Public Service Standing Orders 2010 [A-C] part 9, an appointment on acting basis is expected to last not more than six months, and is subject to direction by the appointing authority Any period of acting appointment beyond six months will be null and void and the officer holding such a an appointment shall automatically revert to his or her substantive post, unless the appointing authority extends the appointment for another period of six months , but shall not exceed 12 months in total. This arrangement will only apply when the statutory office is temporarily vacated.
The whistleblower said they only mentioned Officers Acting in Capacity of Regional Inspectorate Officer, but there are many more acting in the position of Deputy Regional Inspectorate Officers who are going through the same situation.
“What the officers really want is to either get confirmed in those positions immediately, or be reverted to their old substantive positions. It has to be one of those.”
The whistleblower also pointed out the Secretary of the Inspectorate of Government Rose N Kafeero together with other members of the board and management for handpicking, interviewing and yet to issue appointments to new Inspectorate Officers without following the normal recruitment procedure set out by the Internal Human Resource Policy 2017 or the Public Service Standing Orders , 2010.
“We therefore beg your office to please halt the ongoing irregular recruitment,” the whistleblower requested.
Adding, “To be honest with you, the Inspectorate of Government requires new leadership as soon as possible, in any case, it should have happened yesterday. The current management besides Mariam F. Wangadya, are already operating like they have left and do not care on the issues of the staff. We beg the president to force her resignation if possible.”
The whistleblower further stated that allegations of bribery among the IG staff are real.
“Everything is wrong from formation of the work plan for the budget, to procurement of service provider for construction of IG Headquarters, to training of staff, to handling complaints/investigations and also prosecution. Without mentioning names, some staff are currently receiving bribes of case not registered from accused persons, bribes going as high as Shs350,000,000 per allegation. That partly explains why the IG is not performing.
Responding to the allegations against her and colleagues, Inspector General of Government Mulyagonja said the whistleblower should take the petition direct to President Yoweri Museveni, if they think she has she is unsuitable for office.
“If they think I’m incompetent or mentally incapable of doing my duties, I will go once they convince the President. I know there are people who badly want this job and I don’t care. After all I have just one year to go,” Mulyagonja said.
The IGG also said she is ready to cooperate with Lt Col Nakalema with investigations if she decides to act basing on the whistleblower’s complaint.
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