Pallisa, Uganda: The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Pallisa District, Alex Felix Majeme, has welcomed the establishment of the District Service Commission (DSC), ending months of disputes that had stalled key administrative functions in the district.
The commission was fully constituted following the swearing-in of Mwanika Legesi Stephen as chairperson, alongside Achoroi Vincent representing persons with disabilities and the renewal of Sister Otim Dorothy as a member representing the urban councils of Pallisa, Kamuge, Agule, and Kibale.
Majeme described the development as a major breakthrough after prolonged disagreements among leaders and sections of the community over the legality of the previous commission’s operations.
“It was not easy, as some sections of the community wanted the three exiting members to continue conducting business, which was completely outside established guidelines. We had to involve the Solicitor General for interpretation of the law,” Majeme said.
He added that the Public Service Commission conducted interviews for the new members and found them suitable to serve.
The process of constituting the DSC was marked by political disagreements within the district council. Deputy Speaker Joshua Omugit, who presided over the council session, revealed that the council rejected the nomination of Makata Asakeri as Leader of Government Business, prompting the executive to present an alternative candidate.
Omugit said Mwanika’s name was later tabled and unanimously approved after he resigned from his position as district speaker. “What irked me is when Mr Wakata got misguided and ran to the High Court in Mbale to challenge the approval of Mwanika,” he said.
Pallisa LCV-elect Ben Okiria welcomed the establishment of the commission and urged members to uphold integrity, citing past allegations of corruption within the DSC. “Our previous DSC had some stains of allegations of corruption, but I pray this seasoned squad does its work while upholding the reputation built over 60 years,” Okiria said.
Newly sworn-in chairperson Mwanika, a retired head teacher and former district speaker, pledged to restore public confidence in the commission. “The community should not expect extortion of money for jobs. We must rebuild trust in the DSC as it was in the 1990s,” he said.
Sister Otim, who secured a second term, also warned against bribery, emphasising transparency in recruitment processes.
Commissioner Kisu Twaha said the absence of a substantive chairperson following the expiry of former chairperson Omagor Phillip Tukei’s term had paralysed operations. “We have a lot of work ranging from handling disciplinary cases, promotions, and shortlisting applicants. This is going to be expedited,” he said.
District Chairperson Patrick Duchu has since directed the deputy speaker to convene an emergency council session to replace Mwanika as speaker, a position he vacated to assume the DSC role.
Deputy CAO Simon Peter Areu said the reconstitution of the DSC will unlock stalled recruitment processes and help the district utilise its wage bill effectively. “This is going to rescue over UGX 2 billion that would have been returned to the central treasury due to failure to recruit,” Areu said.
He noted that recruitment will particularly target addressing the high teacher-pupil ratio in schools, which has contributed to poor performance and rising dropout rates. “We expect this process to improve education outcomes by reducing classroom congestion and enhancing learner support,” Areu added.
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