Mukono, Uganda
At last, the District Service Commission (DSC) of Mukono District has been officially sworn in, ending three years of constant disagreements.
Since March 12, 2022, the district had been without a service commission because of ongoing conflicts between the district chairperson, Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, and the former commission’s chairperson, Stella Margret Kiondo.
This deadlock had stalled important administrative tasks and decision-making.
The situation finally improved when the two leaders resolved their differences, allowing the DSC to be sworn in.
On Thursday, Mukono Chief Magistrate Recheal Nakyazze led the swearing-in ceremony at the LC5 chairperson’s office, bringing relief and a fresh start for the district’s operations and services.
The commission is headed by Engineer Dr. Godfrey Kibuuka Kisuule as Chairperson, with Arthur Blick Mugerwa representing persons with disabilities, and members Idris Semakula, Stella Margret Kiondo, and Lydia Nakachwa.
The Chief Administrative Officer, Elizabeth Namanda, highlighted the urgent need to address the district’s employment gaps. According to Namanda, there are approximately 230 vacancies for classroom teachers, 51 head teacher positions, and 41 deputy head teacher positions.
The health department faces a shortage of 166 health workers, and the district requires about 99 additional traditional staff, including the District Health Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Senior Planner, and Community Development Officer, among others.
“With the recent national assessment from the prime minister’s office, the district was greatly affected leading to the loss of some grants under the World Bank due lack of department heads.
“For instance, we lost about 400 million shillings in the last financial year, which was intended to support the irrigation scheme, due to the absence of a senior agricultural officer,” Namanda noted.
Resident District Commissioner Fatumah Ndisaba Nabitaka has appealed to the newly commissioned DSC to maintain high levels of integrity and resist pressure from political leaders.
“You’re an independent body, recently faced with several allegations of corruption. Please prove the critics wrong by providing diligent services,” Ndisaba urged.
Earlier Bickering
The ongoing conflict between the district chairperson, Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, and Stella Margret Kiondo escalated to a level that caught the attention of the Minister of Local Governments, Raphael Magyezi, who even threatened to take over district leadership.
However, after facing legal action, the minister retreated, leaving the issue unresolved.
Further petitions followed, prompting Mukono Resident Judge, Justice David Matovu, to direct Rev. Bakaluba Mukasa to form the district commission and compensate Kiondo for her dismissal based on corruption allegations.
Despite Kiondo winning a High Court case in Mukono, which mandated her immediate appointment, Rev. Bakaluba repeatedly refused to comply with the court’s decision and opted to appeal, buying more time.
He also asked Kiondo to withdraw the penalties imposed on him and the district by the court before he would sign her appointment letter.
However, public pressure and the intervention of other politicians eventually compelled Rev. Bakaluba to sign Kiondo’s appointment.
In an interview today, Kiondo stated that issues of compensation are still being handled by her lawyers in court. Despite this, she accepted the appointment letter to serve the people of Mukono.
Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa, the LC5 Chairperson, mentioned that efforts to persuade Kiondo to drop her compensation demands are ongoing.
He also assured Mukono residents that they should closely monitor the DSC’s work to ensure transparency.
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