Government rolls out recruitment for 6,800 positions; warns on bribery

The Government, through the Ministry of Public Service, has announced a massive recruitment drive to fill a total of 6,853 vacant positions across 130 Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and Local Governments in the Financial Year (FY) 2025/2026. 

The announcement made by Minister of Public Service, Wilson Muruli Mukasa, came with a stern warning to both appointing authorities and job applicants that all recruitment processes must be free of charge and strictly merit-based.

The combined annual wage bill implication for the newly recruited staff is valued at approximately Ugx. 124.87 billion, in addition to an earlier clearance worth Ugx. 5.48 billion granted for staff in newly upgraded Health Centre IIIs. 

Priorities on Local Government and Frontline Services

Addressing the press in Kampala on Tuesday, Minister Muluuli said recruitment strategy is focused on strengthening crucial service delivery areas. 

Priority for recruitment has been given to Heads of Department, particularly within Local Governments, with the aim of bolstering the development and implementation of Government policies, as well as effectively supervising and monitoring programmes at the grassroots level.

The drive also targets strengthening staffing levels in vital sectors, including Primary Schools, Primary Health Care, Agriculture Extension, and the newly prioritised cadres of Parish Chiefs/Town Agents. 

The clearance covers positions in various bodies, ranging from the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Health Service Commission (HSC) to District and City Service Commissions, as well as appointment boards for public universities and security organisations.

Some of the districts and MDAs with the most vacant positions for filling include Kisoro district with 288 positions, Koboko with 203, Madi-Okollo with 319, Luwero with 113 and Ministry of Works and Transport which is seeking to fill 292 positions 

Call for Timely Action and Meritocracy

Despite the clearances being issued, Minister Mukasa noted a significant delay, observing that one month into the Financial Year, some Responsible Officers and Appointing Authorities had yet to declare the vacancies or initiate the recruitment process. 

The Minister advised all parties to cease delaying the process and adopt procedures that promote meritocracy and transparency, ensuring the widest possible participation of all eligible persons.

Furthermore, Appointing Authorities have been strictly advised to minimise contact with candidates and, where possible, use only official telephone lines for all candidate interface. 

They are also reminded that successful candidates must receive written notification letters promptly to avoid delays in issuing formal appointment letters. 

To guarantee a professional process, appropriate Technical Officers, who must be higher in rank than the position being filled, are to be assigned to aid in recruitment, with support sought from line Ministries if necessary.

Zero Tolerance for Corruption

In a strong message directed at potential applicants and unscrupulous officials, the Ministry reiterated that recruitment and employment in Government is free of charge. 

Mr Mukasa explicitly warned against soliciting for bribes, extortion, or lobbying. 

He advised that any such cases must be reported immediately to Anti-Corruption and oversight bodies, including the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID), the Inspectorate of Government (IG), and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit. 

Candidates are further encouraged to record all communications they receive related to their job application as evidence.

To ensure a smooth transition and enhanced service delivery capacity, newly recruited public officers will undergo mandatory induction training, a programme developed by the Civil Service College Uganda (CSCU). 

This compulsory training is intended to curb institutional inefficiencies and ensure conformity to Government policies. 

Responsible Officers must submit a schedule of all recruited staff to the Ministry to facilitate the scheduling of this induction before deployment. 

Access onto the government payroll is contingent upon Responsible Officers first submitting a return and a wage performance analysis report to the Ministry, confirming the availability of sufficient funds for the new employees.