The Head of Public Service announces new reforms for public servants

The Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Ms. Lucy Nakyobe has announced a raft of reforms in the civil service and stressed that Government employees will only stay on the job if they deliver on their set targets.

Nakyobe, who was addressing heads of Local Government human resource managers and Secretaries to District Service Commissions (DSCs) at
at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), yesterday (28th/ 0444/ 2026)in Kyankwanzi. “We are going to change the clause in the standing orders which says that you are permanent and pensionable. We are going to add on that you are permanent and pensionable if you deliver.”

Nakyobe stressed that they are going to strengthen monitoring, inspection, evaluation and supervision. “Some of you sit in your offices and swing your chairs and forget why you are there. This is no longer going to be business as usual,” Nakyobe warned, adding that among the new reforms is the regular transfer of Permanent Secretaries. “The Permanent Secretaries and heads of departments have to be rotated regularly. You will serve for three years and be transferred so that someone else comes in. “This idea of a Permanent Secretary saying that this is my accountant or procurement officer, don’t shift him or her is coming to an end,” Nakyobe said. She warned those who resist transfers that they will have to pack their bags and go home.

Nakyobe said that she is aware that Human Resource Managers often bark at their subordinates and visitors to their offices in addition to addressing them in a condescending manner and that many of them are corrupt and not patriotic. “Corruption is not only in the DSCs; it is also in the Public Service Commission. I haven’t followed other commissions well but at least I have heard a lot of reports of what is going on,” Nakyobe said.

She noted that one of the challenges of corruption in the DSCs is the law, adding that the district service commissioners are recommended by the district executive council. “If somebody recommends you for a job, if you are lucky, that person is recommending you because you are competent but he is also recommending you with an expectation that you will be loyal and serve his or her interests,” Nakyobe said.

“I have recommended that we change the way of appointing members of the DSCs, as a way of fighting corruption since corruption in the public service is not an allegation but a fact.
She noted that the recruitment process in the public service has been compromised by corrupt tendencies.
“You are the human resource managers and stewards of the workforce and therefore influence the work force of our government. You shape the quality, discipline, productivity and the integrity of the public service. So, if the recruitment is compromised, this means that the system is weakened,” Nakyobe said. She advised the human resource mangers that they should not restrict their role to managing entry, stay and exist of staff from the public service. They are also responsible for the welfare of public servants.

Mr. Ben Kumumanya, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of local government cautioned the human resource managers against ‘selling’ jobs and corruption in local government. “We want the population to come out and inform us of the corruption mayhem, I issued a circular, to all Local Governments, that every job advert should have a disclaimer that says that no one should pay money to get a job, anybody asking for money to offer a job is doing an illegality and that’s corruption,” Kumumanya said.

He explained that the biggest challenge towards fighting corruption is lack of evidence to prosecute the culprits. “People fear to report corruption cases to agencies like the office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Anti Corruption Unit among other government anti corruption bodies” he said.
He noted that many people fall off the line because they are not committed to their cause, adding that one must be ready to pay a price.

By Issa Kigongo | Channel 44