A little over 1,500 Ugandan government employees (civil/public servants) will lose their jobs starting in the next financial year (2023-2024) which begins in July 2023 when a number of agencies will be scrapped of as part of efforts for the rationalization of government agencies and public expenditure (Rapex) initiative.
The rationalization move is meant to reduce on the duplication of roles where some agencies have the same functions but operate independently. Duplication creates clashes, delays, confusion in the delivery of services and hinders government efficiency.
In a recent cabinet meeting, Public Service Minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa confirmed that a total of 69 government agencies will be scrapped off, have their functions mainstreamed while others will have their functions collapsed under departments in Ministries. This will leave government with only 88 agencies out of the current 157.
The scrapping will see a total of 1,565 government employees become jobless. While some of them will be absorbed under the new departments that will be created under ministries and those that have been existent, many more will lose jobs and will have to seek employment opportunities elsewhere.
Government has directed the heads of agencies that are set to be scrapped not to hire any new people or even renew the contracts of their employees. For those who have running employment contracts, government will offer them a package worth three months’ salaries in lieu of notice, a Shs1.5m termination package for each of the affected employees, among other payments in the compensation package.
It should be remembered that the scrapping of the agencies and the subsequent job losses will happen in two phases: the first one where 53 agencies will be scrapped, leading to job losses for 1,171 people, and the second phase where 16 agencies will be scrapped and 394 civil servants will lose their jobs.
You can see the list of government agencies that will be scrapped and those that will be retained starting in July 2023 HERE.
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