Mixed reactions as Kagadi service commission delays list of successful candidates

KAGADI, UGANDA: Mixed reactions have emerged in Kagadi district as candidates who applied for several job positions are accusing the district service commission of failing to release the list of successful candidates after over four months since the recruitment exercise.

The district service commission held the recruitment exercise for the Senior CDOs, CDOs and IT officers, where various persons were interviewed early this financial year but up until now, the district has failed to announce and give appointment letters to the successful candidates.

This has sparked off anger and mixed reactions among the public and applicants some alleging that the process could have been hampered by the high corruption tendencies that were involved in the recruitment exercise.

Some members of the public more especially the applicants say the delay may be due to some Kagadi district officials including the District Chairperson Mr. Ndibyami Yoshiya who is alleged to have put the Chief Administrative Officer Pauline Epodoi Opio under pressure to consider some candidates who allegedly paid bribes for the jobs.

However, during a press briefing on the matter held at Kagadi district headquarters on Wednesday, the Kagadi District communications officer George Gulyetonda dismissed the allegations asserting that the district service commission held a clean recruitment exercise that was based on merit.

“Am opposing those applicants who allege our District officials to have been involved in corruption tendencies during this financial year’s recruitment process, it’s a lie, despite the delay the exercise was so open and soon successful candidates will be released based on merit,” Mr Gulyetonda said.

Gulyetonda asked residents and applicants of Kagadi district to remain calm over the delay to announce the successful candidates of the recent recruitment exercise for the vacancies of the Community Development Officers, Senior Community Development Officers and Information Technology Officers in the district.

“Be patient the district CAO soon will append her signature on the appointment letters of the successful candidates and will be publically declared,” He added.

It should be noted that this is not the first time Kagadi residents as well as applicants to the service commission allege the district officials to be involved in corruption tendencies during the recruitment exercise.

In December 2021, during a council meeting, members of the Kagadi district council approved the names of 105 parish chiefs and town agents amid protest from residents that some of the approved members lacked education qualifications.

This prompted the state minister for local government Hon. Rusoke Businge to order the ministry officials to make a thorough check up of the academic documents for the 105 parish chiefs who by then had been approved by the council where by 36 of them were found with forged academic documents and were later put on an arrest warrant.