Kakumiro District uncompleted administrative block.
By George Bukenya
Service delivery in Kakumiro District is paralyzed due to the inadequate staffing caused by lack of the District Service Commission Board Chairperson after expiry of term of office of Dr. Margret Lubega Kansiime about a year ago.
The District’s chairman Sentayi Joseph Amooti says, there’s a big manpower gap both in the health and education sectors of his district and this has greatly negatively impacted on service delivery.
He said that teachers and health workers are lacking in the district yet the infrastructures have been constructed by government for instance at Kitayoka SS which has over 500 students has no single teacher on government payroll.
This followed the district executive committee decision of not renewing the term of office of Dr. Margret Lubega Kansiime to continue serving as the commission chairperson who was alleged to be conniving with the Prime Minister in fighting the district chairman and councilors who don’t pay allegiance to the ‘Majegere’ lady.
Mr. Sentayi puts all this blame to the Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja and the district Speaker Byarugaba Joseph Ajuna whom he alleges that, they have done a great deal in sabotaging all efforts geared towards getting a substantive chairperson of the board because the people he nominated do not support her.
Sentayi who talked to the reporter of this website said that he caused a council were he presented the of Nabatanzi Proscovia who has been serving as a board member of the outgoing board and had all the requirements needed to lead the board but the speaker of the district council unlawfully refused to pass her name.
According to the chairman, they had also a harmonization meeting was also convened and chaired by the Minister of Public Service Mululi Mukasa and in this gathering the chairman brought another name in Ssewankabwe Fortunate and they failed to reach a consensus.
He took the name to another council meeting but still couldn’t but councillors failed to decide which normally would prompt the speaker to subject the matter to a vote but instead he decided to adjourn the council to May this year.
The district had spent almost a year without a substantive chairperson of the service commission due to the internal wrangles which are alleged to be fueled by Nabbanja, something the local leaders say have paralyzed work during that period.
The funds amounting to UGX 1.8 billion sent last financial year to the district for the recruitment of public servants in the district was not utilized due to lack of a fully-fledged district service commission yet the law requires that such funds should be return to the National treasury.
“Our efforts of getting the chairperson of the District Service Commission chairperson is being sabotaged by people who have person interests and this has greatly hindered service delivery and in the end NRM party is underscored.’’ Mr. Sentayi said.
Rt. Hon Nabbanja last year commissioned two new health Centre buildings, for instance Kasenyi Health Centre III in Kakindo Sub-county, Kakwaya Health Centre III in Kakwaya Sub-county but premises are still lying idle without manpower due to lack of recruitment of district public servants.
According to government new policy, at least each sub-county must have a Health Centre III with at least 18 staff led by a Senior Clinical officer who run a general outpatient Clinic and maternity ward.
The district chairman Sentayi says that after getting a substantive commission chairperson, he is expecting work at the district to start moving on well even these Heath center will become operational.
One of the district Councillors who preferred to remain anonymous alleged that the Prime Minister have been frustrating the local leadership’s service delivery and she uses the taxpayers’ money to compromise some councilors to oppose anything she feels can make the local leaders score.
He also says that because of her behavior and bad conduct, development has slowed down in the district due to her segregation and tribalism tendencies as well as harassment of leaders especially the elders using abusive language.
He said she has been always, harassing previous leaders, intimidating people to send them her escorts to arrest them who she feels that have never supported her.
The councilor also said that the Kakumiro people think that president Museveni did a disservice to them for not dismissing Nabbanja in the reshuffle yet they had anticipated that he would replace her, that immediately after the mini- reshuffle she (Nabbanja) went to Kakumiro and organized a meeting were she rebuked those whom she purportedly says are fighting her.
“Our humble request to HE is that, let him take away his person from the leadership of Kakumiro if he still wants to see NRM in Kakumiro and Bunyoro and we kindly request him to also use his independent intelligence to find out this. “The Councilor prayed.
He further said that because of her envy, she doesn’t want to see anyone in Bunyoro being recognized or in a better office yet she also tagged herself onto someone as a daughter who contributed to the five- year bush war that brought president Museveni to power whereas she isn’t.