LUUKA, UGANDA: A man in Kamuli district has sought President Museveni’s intervention after his post of being the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Luuka district was taken by someone with whom he shares a name.
According to DailyMonitor, the appointee one Paul Waiswa, 42, received a letter dated March 25, 2022, appointing him Luuka deputy RDC. He later received an identity card for the same position valid from April 4, 2022, to December 3, 2024.
The letter, signed by Mr Yunus Kakande, the secretary in the Office of the President, stipulated his annual and fixed monthly remuneration, allowances and entitlements, including gratuity, leave, a chauffeur-driven car, free medical care for self and family and police escort.
Mr Waiswa was supposed to deputise Ms Jane Frances Kagayi, who has since been transferred. The government says he was appointed in error. The news of Mr Waiswa’s appointment was warmly received in Namisambya, his village in Kamuli District.
Eager to settle into his new office, Mr Waiswa submitted his account number, Tax Identification Number (TIN) and acceptance letter. Upon his arrival in Luuka on April 6, he was received by the District Internal Security Officer (DISO), Mr Sam Musiwa.
There was, however, trouble in paradise after it came to light that a substantive deputy RDC called Paul Waiswa Bwenibwamiko, 48, had assumed the same office on April 1.
Mr Waiswa says since May 10, he has—with the help of former Moroto Municipality legislator, Mr Simon Peter Aleper—engaged the Office of the President in vain. Mr Aleper is currently the Central Executive Committee (CEC) member (NRM) in-charge of Karamoja Sub-region.
“I appeal to the fountain of honour to intervene and make sure that I regain my job,” Mr Waiswa said in an interview at the weekend, adding, “It is the President who gave me that job.”
Mr Waiswa further revealed that Ms Milly Babalanda the minister for the Presidency earlier asked him to leave “Luuka issues” not least because the government and NRM have “many jobs” where he can be deployed. The publication (Monitor) was however unable to independently verify these claims as Ms Babalanda’s known telephone numbers were off by press time.
On September 7, Mr Waiswa—through his lawyers, Ochieng Associates and Solicitors—wrote to Ms Babalanda, saying it is “within your knowledge that upon receiving the identity card as deputy RDC, our client signed a deployment letter and he was told to report to work in Luuka District, where he reported on April 6, 2022.”
The lawyers added that their client was “dismay[ed]” to learn that “the office of the deputy RDC was already occupied.” They also claimed that Mr Waiswa “was given an assurance that his complaint was to be handled within one month, and probably a fresh appointment would be preferred.”
They added in a letter thus: “We, therefore, request your humble office to urgently handle this matter within seven days to avoid unnecessary litigation as this state of affairs has subjected our client to mental stress, loss of finance and psychological torture, among others.”
In his September 15 response, Hajj Kakande says Mr Waiswa’s appointment as Luuka deputy RDC was an issue of mistaken identity. “[Mr Waiswa’s] claim is baseless and fatal to the extent that the appointing authority is not in the know of your client. He should be put to strict proof of his assertions.”
But Mr Waiswa wonders why it took the Office of the President five months to come to the conclusion that it wasn’t him who had been posted to Luuka as deputy RDC and is demanding Shs100m in compensation.
Story by DailyMonitor
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