Namisindwa, Uganda: The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Namisindwa District, Leonard Kitavunja, is facing mounting scrutiny over plans to engage an external District Service Commission (DSC) to conduct staff recruitment and promotions during a transition period in which Namisindwa’s own commission is not fully constituted.
The Namisindwa DSC has remained incomplete following the resignation of its former chairperson, who stepped down to contest for the Woman Member of Parliament seat during the National Resistance Movement primaries. She lost the race in July 2025.
Despite the vacancy, Kitavunja is reportedly pushing to hire the Tororo District Service Commission to fast-track staff promotions and recruitment in Namisindwa, a move critics say is irregular, rushed and unnecessary, coming just months before the end of the current term.
District stakeholders allege that the proposed process is being driven through the handpicking of beneficiaries rather than adherence to established recruitment procedures.
Peter Masayi, the District Councillor for Namboko Sub-county, accused the CAO of overstepping his mandate, arguing that the authority to hire an external service commission lies with the district council, especially where public funds are involved.
“Council has never discussed or approved such a move at any stage,” Masayi said, calling on the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government to intervene and rein in the CAO to ensure respect for established systems.
The District Speaker, Dorothy Walukawu, warned that matters relating to the District Service Commission are strictly legal and must be handled within the law.
“If a technical officer advising council starts behaving like a politician—making resolutions and implementing them unilaterally—then the district risks institutional collapse,” Walukawu said.
She added that council had already pronounced itself on recruitment and promotion matters after the district executive allegedly frustrated earlier efforts to recruit heads of department and promote staff.
The Male Youth Councillor and District LC5 Chairman-elect, Emma Bwayo, accused the district executive of frustrating recruitment and promotion processes for the last five years, even when a fully constituted service commission was in place.
Bwayo attributed the current crisis directly to the CAO, claiming that earlier missteps led to the return of nearly Shs1 billion earmarked for recruitment and promotions back to the Treasury.
“He should declare his interests in these ongoing scandals and allow for a smooth transition,” Bwayo said.
When contacted for comment, Kitavunja confirmed that plans are underway to hire an external service commission to handle recruitment and promotions but declined to give further details.
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