Government to prosecute workers who had entered its payroll illegally

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Public Service Catherine Bitarekwata addressing Media at Uganda Media Center.

By George Bukenya

Government has directed police Directorate of Crime Intelligence (CID) to commence investigations leading to the prosecution of over 7000 public service workers who were recruited illegally.

This follows the audit physical exercise that started last year and ended

 mid this year were a total of 7,486 workers found serving illegally and have been since deleted from the government payroll.

A total of 34,471 public officers where validated and according to the Ministry of Public service permanent Secretary Catherine Batarekwate Musingwire said that the lists are being analyzed. Other 1500 that had pending issues and initially deleted from the payroll have been cleared and reinstated.

Batarekwate while addressing reporters at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on July 19, 2024 said that those who are deleted will be prosecuted and the accounting officers of the different government agencies will also be invested if found guilty will also face the law.

“We have already directed CID to start investigations into matters relating to people who entered government payroll illegally,” Bitarakwate revealed. 

She also said that government has lifted the ban on recruitment of workers in Public service sector but this should is subject to the availability of wages and the Priority is given to the heads of different departments, new secondary schools, and Health Centre.

“The acting head of departments should be recruited on permanent basis specifically in those critical respective sectors.”

Bitarakwate also said that those deleted from the payroll failed to turn up for the validation exercise, others had no proper document like authentic appointment letters, others had already retired and were appearing both on pension payroll and on the normal one, while others absconded. 

The commissioner in charge of compensation Mr.Bua Victor Leku said that processes leading to putting in place a salary review commission are ongoing.

Meanwhile the Permanent Secretary 

also said that government has enhanced salaries of Police, army and prisons warden to a tune of 40%  of the approved long term pay targets and for instance in the army those to benefit are from the rank of private to captain. 

The salaries of Inspector General of Police, Commissioner General of Prisons, and other High ranking officers were also enhanced by 77% also basing on approved long-term pay targets. 

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