KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Permanent Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister Mr. Keith Muhakani has reinstated 5 officials who were last year thrown interdicted by Prime Minister Rt. Hon Robinnah Nabbanja.
The five officials were interdicted along with four others in August 2021, over their alleged procurement of substandard relief items for victims of the floods of Kasese District.
They are: Mr. Bukomooko Daudi, (Principal Assistant Secretary), Ms. Agnes Katembeko (Senior Procurement Officer), Ms.Nalubega Esther (Procurement Officer), Mr Agaba Tumwine (Internal Auditor) Mr. Oriokot Rodney Roy (Internal Auditor).
Four other officials were arrested and also interdicted on the same charges; namely Godfrey Kayima, the accounting officer, Ms Rose Nakabogo, the acting commissioner disaster preparedness; Ms Esther M Odongo, the procurement officer, and Mr Henry Agaba Tumwine, the internal auditor.
Muhakanizi told ChimpReports on Monday that he had decided to bring back the five after seeking advice from the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
“One has to ensure that the government doesn’t lose a lot of money, because we’ve been losing a lot of money…when you arrest all these people and you don’t follow up,” the PS said in an interview.
“So, thanks to the new Attorney General who is very decisive, when I came to office, I sought his guidance; and following that guidance, I have brought them back.”
The five officials, ChimpReports understands, had written to Mr Muhakanizi asking to be reinstated.
The PS in turn, wrote to AG Kiwanuka, who through the Solicitor General, supported the reinstatement.
The AG argued in his response seen by this website, that the five officials had not been arrested or produced in any courts of law for the said charges.
Also, citing provisions from the Public Service Standing Orders, he noted that the stipulated 6months period for which an official can be Interdicted, had elapsed.
“Paragraph 14 (b) of the Public Service Standing orders 2021 Section F-S provides that-( b)Where an officer is Interdicted, the Responsible Officer shall ensure that Investigations are done expeditiously in any case within 3 months for cases that do not involve the police and courts and 6 months for cases that involve the police and courts of law. In this case, the 9 staff members of OPM were interdicted on 3. August 2021. Therefore, the 6 months lapsed on 3. February 2022.” He advised.
“In conclusion, We advise that the interdiction of the 5 officials should be lilted given that they have not appeared before courts of law on any of the above charges and the period of 6 months within which charges should have been brought have lapsed (3. February 2022) as provided for under the Public Service Commission Regulations.”
As per the provisions of the Standing Orders, Mr Muhakanizi confirmed to us that the five staff members, who were on half pay during interdiction period, will be repaid the remainder of their salaries.
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