KAMPALA, UGANDA — The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Ben Kumumanya, has renewed the fight against corruption in government recruitment, challenging Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), Town Clerks and other local government leaders to ensure that public jobs are awarded on the basis of competence, qualifications and merit.
Kumumanya said recruitment must follow established public service procedures rather than allowing financial influence, personal connections or other forms of interference to determine who gets appointed.
Speaking in an exclusive interview following President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s engagement with the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, Kumumanya said ensuring that government recruits the right people has now become a major focus for the Ministry.
«“It is the focus now,” Kumumanya said.»
He emphasised that recruitment must be guided by competence, qualifications and the established procedures governing Uganda’s public service.
His warning comes as local governments implement the recruitment guidelines and circulars issued in July 2026, including the guidance dated July 3, which places renewed emphasis on orderly, transparent and standards-based recruitment.
The guidance has also brought the roles of CAOs, Town Clerks and Local Government Service Commissions under renewed scrutiny, particularly in ensuring that vacancies are handled through prescribed procedures and appointments are made on merit.
For Kumumanya, the message is clear: government employment must not become a transaction in which money determines who gets a job.
Museveni raises the Shs10 million question
The Permanent Secretary’s intervention comes shortly after President Museveni raised concern over reports of people paying money to secure government jobs.
During his engagement with the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, Museveni spoke about reports of individuals allegedly paying substantial sums to obtain public employment, with Shs10 million cited among the amounts reportedly associated with attempts to secure government positions.
The President’s concern has added political weight to the Ministry of Local Government’s efforts to strengthen recruitment systems and eliminate corruption.
The issue is particularly serious because government employees are responsible for implementing public programmes and delivering services to citizens.
When recruitment is compromised, the consequences can extend beyond an applicant who loses an opportunity. An unqualified or improperly recruited officer can affect the performance of an entire institution and, ultimately, the quality of services delivered to citizens.
That is why Kumumanya says recruitment is now a key focus.
July guidelines put recruitment under the microscope
The July 2026 recruitment guidance provides the framework within which local governments are expected to handle recruitment and staffing.
The emphasis is on following established public service procedures rather than creating informal routes into government employment.
For CAOs and Town Clerks, this means ensuring that vacancies are subjected to the required procedures, positions are properly advertised, candidates are assessed against the relevant qualifications, and appointments are made through the legally established structures.
The guidance also reinforces the importance of accountability throughout the recruitment process.
This places particular responsibility on local government accounting officers and administrative heads to ensure that recruitment is not manipulated at any stage.
Kumumanya’s intervention therefore comes at a critical point. While the circulars provide the rules, their effectiveness ultimately depends on the officials responsible for implementing them.
‘It is the focus now’
Kumumanya says the Ministry wants a public service in which competence, rather than money or influence, determines who is appointed.
His challenge to CAOs and Town Clerks is not simply about filling vacant positions. It is about ensuring that people appointed to government are capable of performing the responsibilities attached to their offices.
A competent agricultural officer can help farmers increase production.
A qualified health worker can improve services at a health facility.
A properly recruited engineer can contribute to better infrastructure.
A competent administrator can strengthen local government systems.
But when recruitment is influenced by money, Kumumanya warns, the fundamental purpose of public service is undermined.
Nuwamanya: Two years waiting for a chance
For Edison Nuwamanya, the recruitment debate is deeply personal.
The 43-year-old Diploma holder in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry from Busitema University says he has spent two years volunteering in the Animal Husbandry and Production Department in Mayoro Town Council, Kitagwenda District, without a salary or formal appointment.
Nuwamanya says his attempt to join the public service began in 2024 when he applied for the position of Animal Husbandry Assistant Officer through the Kitagwenda District recruitment process.
He says his application, dated December 15, 2024, did not progress.
Nuwamanya alleges that applicants were asked to pay between Shs5 million and Shs10 million to influence recruitment outcomes.
«“Those who passed through paid money and they gave the handout to Ms Joanita Nakityo, the then Chief Administrative Officer. They are now government employees,” Nuwamanya alleges.»
He also claims that some people were recruited into positions despite possessing qualifications that did not correspond with the jobs they occupied.
«“There is a gentleman who is currently operating as the Animal Husbandry and Production Officer but is qualified in Crop Production only,” he claims.»
The allegations have not been independently verified. The individuals named by Nuwamanya have also not been convicted of any wrongdoing.
However, his account illustrates the type of recruitment concerns that have added urgency to the Ministry’s renewed focus on merit-based recruitment.
«“I have continued working because I love serving my community, but I need justice and fairness. Government jobs should be given according to qualifications and merit,” Nuwamanya says.»
Kitagwenda responds
Mr Pius Mugisha, the Kitagwenda District Town Clerk, says the district experienced financial and institutional constraints that affected its recruitment activities.
«“We had no funds and the jobs we advertised were few. The process was done by the then Chief Administrative Officer, Ms Nakityo, and today we hope to see changes under new leadership,” Mugisha says.»
He denies that the recruitment challenges were intentional, attributing them instead to logistical and financial limitations.
The differing accounts underline why the Ministry is insisting on clear procedures, proper documentation and accountability at every stage of recruitment.
Why competence matters
The recruitment debate comes at a time when local governments are responsible for implementing a wide range of government programmes.
From the Parish Development Model to agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and social services, the success of government programmes depends heavily on the quality of personnel deployed to implement them.
Mr Katunda Mukulu, a Town Clerk in Busia District, says competent public servants are essential to delivering government programmes.
«“Today over 2,400 people have benefited through the Parish Development Model, and these programmes require competent public servants to implement government initiatives,” he says.»
This makes recruitment a service-delivery issue.
A vacancy is not simply an empty office. It is a position carrying responsibility for public resources, government policy and the welfare of citizens.
The CAO and Town Clerk test
Kumumanya’s renewed challenge places CAOs and Town Clerks at the frontline of the recruitment accountability battle.
They are expected to ensure that the current recruitment guidance is followed and that the relevant Service Commissions operate within the law.
The Ministry’s emphasis on proper procedures is intended to prevent recruitment from being influenced by personal connections, financial inducements or other forms of interference.
Where recruitment complaints arise, documentation and adherence to procedure become crucial.
Every stage — from identification of vacancies and advertisement to shortlisting, interviews, selection and appointment — must be properly documented and capable of being explained and defended.
The cost of selling a government job
For a young graduate or professional seeking employment, being told that a government job requires millions of shillings can turn public service into a privilege for the wealthy.
It can also create a dangerous cycle.
An individual who pays millions to obtain a job may later feel pressured to recover the money through the same office.
That is how corruption can reproduce itself within public institutions.
This is why Kumumanya’s warning goes beyond recruitment.
It is a warning against creating a public service in which corruption becomes part of the entry requirement.
Kumumanya’s message
The Permanent Secretary has urged citizens who are asked for money in exchange for government employment to report such cases to the relevant authorities.
The message is equally directed at public officers: recruitment must be conducted according to established standards, and public positions must go to people who possess the required qualifications and competence.
For local government leaders, the July recruitment guidance provides the framework.
For Kumumanya, implementation is now the battlefield.
«“It is the focus now.”»
Those four words capture the urgency of the Ministry’s intervention.
Because at the end of every recruitment exercise is not merely a name on an appointment letter.
There is a health centre waiting for a professional, a farmer waiting for an extension officer, a school waiting for a teacher, a local government waiting for an administrator and millions of citizens waiting for services.
And that is why the fight over how Uganda recruits its public servants is ultimately a fight over how Uganda is governed.
For Nuwamanya, the hope remains that one day his qualifications will be enough.
For Kumumanya, the task is to ensure that the system gives merit that chance.
Government jobs, he insists, must be filled by competent Ugandans — not by the highest bidder.
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