Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Uganda Monitor
Published on 2024-03-21 07:09:03
The Secretary in the Office of the President has disclosed that he issued four warnings to the Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) of Rubaga Division before taking the decision to suspend him. Mr Yunus Kakande, who signed the letter suspending Mr Anderson Burora, stated that the RCC had violated sections of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, 2021. This revelation came during Mr Kakande’s appearance before the Parliament’s House committee on Presidential Affairs, which was chaired by Ms Jessica Ababiku and was reviewing the Ministerial Policy Statement of the Office of the President.
During the committee session, members expressed concerns about reported cases of ‘misconduct’ involving Resident District Commissioners (RDCs). Mr Dennis Onekalit, the Kitgum Municipality MP, specifically inquired about the actions taken against Mr Burora, who allegedly used his social media account to criticize Speaker of Parliament Anita Among for her handling of the 11th Parliament. Mr Onekalit questioned the fate of the RCC of Rubaga and whether the Presidency had taken any further steps beyond suspension in response to his derogatory remarks.
Mr Kakande responded by acknowledging that while there are indeed instances of questionable conduct among some RDCs and RCCs, his office has consistently addressed reported cases. In the case of Mr Burora, who had been undermining the Parliament and specifically targeting the Speaker, Mr Kakande revealed that he had personally advised him on four separate occasions to refrain from making public statements without permission, as per the Public Service Standing Orders regulations. However, Mr Burora disregarded these warnings, leading to his suspension with further disciplinary actions pending.
In light of capacity-building efforts, Mr Kakande mentioned that his office conducts five workshops annually to enhance the skills of RDCs and RCCs, inviting external speakers to contribute to their professional development. He emphasized the importance of adhering to regulations and guidelines governing their conduct, highlighting a recent training session for all RDCs and Deputy RDCs in the Lango sub-region as part of ongoing efforts to improve their performance.
Regarding financial allowances, Mr Kakande disclosed that RDCs receive a monthly stipend of Shs3m, while their deputies are allocated Shs2.5m to support their duties. Following his suspension, Mr Burora handed over his responsibilities to Ms Doreen Keita, the deputy RCC for Central Division in Kampala, reaffirming his commitment to combating corruption despite the disciplinary action taken against him.
Overall, the situation involving the suspension of the Deputy RCC of Rubaga Division sheds light on the importance of upholding professional standards and ethical conduct within the public service sector, as well as the accountability measures in place to address misconduct. The Office of the President remains dedicated to ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of its personnel through training and disciplinary actions when necessary.
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