KAMPALA, Uganda — Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya, has cautioned the public against paying money to individuals who claim they can secure them jobs in local governments, describing the practice as illegal and a direct violation of Uganda’s public service recruitment laws.
Speaking in an exclusive interview at the Ministry of Local Government, Kumumanya stressed that recruitment into district, city, municipal, and other local government institutions is governed by established legal procedures that guarantee fairness, transparency, and merit.
“It is illegal to solicit money from job applicants during local government recruitment. No one should pay for a government job because recruitment is guided by the law,” Kumumanya said.
His warning follows reports that fraudsters are targeting desperate job seekers by falsely claiming they have influence over recruitment processes and demanding money in exchange for employment opportunities.
Kumumanya emphasized that appointments to public service positions are based solely on qualifications, competence, and performance during the official recruitment process—not financial inducements or personal connections.
He urged job seekers to rely only on officially advertised vacancies and follow the prescribed application procedures, warning them against dealing with brokers or middlemen who exploit their aspirations for personal gain.
The Permanent Secretary explained that recruitment in local governments is conducted through legally mandated institutions, including District Service Commissions and other authorized bodies responsible for advertising vacancies, conducting interviews, and appointing successful candidates.
According to Kumumanya, safeguarding the integrity of recruitment is essential to improving service delivery, as local governments are at the forefront of providing critical services such as healthcare, education, road infrastructure, water, and community development.
“When recruitment is compromised, service delivery suffers because institutions may fail to attract the right people with the skills, competence, and commitment needed to serve communities,” he noted.
He said the Ministry of Local Government remains committed to promoting accountability, transparency, and professionalism as the cornerstone of Uganda’s decentralisation policy. Strong local governments, he added, depend on capable public servants recruited through fair and competitive processes.
Kumumanya also called upon local leaders, including councillors and other elected officials, to respect and support lawful recruitment procedures instead of attempting to influence appointments outside the established legal framework.
With many young Ugandans actively seeking employment, he warned that unemployment has created opportunities for con artists to exploit vulnerable job seekers through false promises of government jobs.
He encouraged the public to report anyone demanding money in exchange for employment in local governments, saying such practices undermine public confidence in public institutions and violate the principles of good governance.
Kumumanya maintained that the fight against corruption begins with protecting recruitment systems from abuse and ensuring every qualified Ugandan has an equal opportunity to compete for public service positions.
As Uganda continues to strengthen decentralisation and improve service delivery at the grassroots, he said maintaining transparency and integrity in recruitment will remain vital to building effective, accountable, and citizen-centred local governments.
His message was unequivocal: government jobs are earned through merit—not bought with money.
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