Government Lifts Freeze on Recruitment of Public Servants

The ministry of public service will allow different Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and local governments to recruit civil servants following a temporary freeze on recruitment that was effected in the previous financial year.

To allow for the smooth conduct and conclusion of the special audit of the payroll and validation of public officers, government had put in place a temporary free on recruitment by ministries, departments, agencies and local governments.

With the special audit now completed, government will now allow MDAs and local governments to recruit staff. But whether different entities are allowed or not allowed to recruit will depend on how their wage bills were utilized in final three months of the previous financial year.

Another factor, according to junior minister for public service, Mary Grace Mugasa, will be the available budget allocated to the ministry, department, agency or local government for wages in the current financial year, since government does not want to hire people and fail to pay them for their work.

“The exercise has now been concluded and therefore, the Ministry of Public Service will issue clearance to recruit this month (July 2024) based on wage performance of quarter four (April, May and June) of FY 2023/2024 and the wage budget for FY 2024/2025,” announced Minister Mugasa on July 19.

She further told officers responsible for recruitment and human resources that they should know that they will be cleared to recruit staff “only if there is available wage (not limited to few payroll categories).”

The ministry of Public Service will also give a green light to ministries, departments, agencies and local governments which have already paid the required attention to the special audit of the payroll, cleaning up as advised. MDAs and local governments must also have plugged loopholes that were discovered during the headcount.

“Votes that have fully implemented the recommendations of the special payroll audit and headcount exercise by Office of the Auditor General will be issued clearance to recruit,” said Mugasa.

She added: “Priority for recruitment will be for Heads of Department, newly constructed secondary schools and health facilities under UGiFT [Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program] funding as well as positions that are regarded critical by Sector Ministries.

“The Permanent Secretaries of respective sectors are therefore advised to indicate the priority positions to consider while issuing sector specific guidelines.”

DELETED! Over 7,500 Government Employees Removed from Public Service Payroll

Towards the end of the previous financial year, the education ministry appointed secondary school headteachers and deputy head teachers. (See lists of appointed headteachers and deputy headteachers Here and There).

Meanwhile, government has increased salaries of police and prison officers. (See Details Here).