Kyotera Councillors suspend District Service Commission officials over alleged corruption, nepotism

By Everest Mukiibi 

Kyotera district council has suspended the District Service Commission for alleged corruption, which has dented its operations. This stems from a report compiled by a special committee, which probed the commission over graft allegations.

In the district council meeting chaired by Speaker, Francis Xavier Lubinga on Tuesday, the councillors unanimously resolved to suspend the entire District Service Commission to pave way for broader investigations in its operations. Late last year, the district council set up a special committee chaired by Antonio Kalyango, the Lwankoni Sub-county councillor to investigate the corruption allegations.

However, the report shows that the commission members declined to respond to the summons to appear beofre the probe committee.

According to Kalyango, while the committee received numerous reports of abuse of office including soliciting bribes from job applicants, the commissioners including the Chairperson declined the summons to respond to the allegations.

The committee accordingly recommended that the entire District Service Commission be suspended and subjected to broader investigations by the government anti-corruption agencies.

The commisison members include Rose Nalubowa, Chairperson, Teddy Nakyanzi the Secretary and other commissioners who include Maria Naggawa, John Muwonge Lutaaya, John Baptist Buyonde, and Abubacker Mutaaya.

Notably, in 2019, the Inspector General of Government ordered the interdiction of Aaron Muyonga Kayinga from the Office of Secretary of Kyotera District Service Commission and Principal Human Resource Office after finding him guilty of abuse of office and facilitating irregular recruitment of staff.

Hassan Kibirige, the Deputy Speaker of Kyotera who also doubles as the Kalisiizo town council councillor led the council to unanimously approve the recommendation relieving the current service commission of its duties. He claimed that besides soliciting bribes, there are also reports of candidates who were appointed to different positions with forged academic papers, saying a broader investigation will also help to conduct a verification exercise of all technical staff in the area.

Kibirige argued that because some staff were awarded jobs in exchange for bribes or through nepotism, the district was denied the opportunity of getting efficient technical personnel who support effective service delivery in the area.

According to him, the commission exhibited a high level of incompetence when it employed senior four leavers as Parish Chiefs and Porters at Health Centers even when there were competent candidates that applied for the same positions.