Service delivery has collapsed in Tororo District after over 30 officers were interdicted on directive of Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi.
Key departments – Education, Health, Finance, Procurement and Lands – were found locked Tuesday as residents stranded at headquarters.
The minister said officers face corruption, abuse of office, extortion of PDM and Emyooga funds, sale of government jobs and illegal sale of government land.
“Following numerous complaints from wanainchi and the RDC’s report, I have directed the CAO Tororo to interdict all officers implicated in corruption to pave way for investigations by IGG and State House Anti-Corruption Unit,” he said at a baraza at Children’s Lions Park during his Bukedi anti-corruption tour.
A spot check found over 50 head teachers from Kwapa, Sop Sop, Soni and Ojilai sub counties stranded and unable to submit PLE data.
“We spent transport but there is no DEO to sign documents. If PLE data is not submitted, our children will not sit exams,” said Ticaf Primary head teacher Irene Langa, also president of Tororo head teachers association.
“We support fighting corruption, but you cannot interdict 16 officers at once and leave a district empty. Salaries are not being processed, teachers are not being paid,” she said.
Affected include 8 sub-county chiefs, 5 parish chiefs, 4 accountants, procurement officers, commercial officer, staff surveyor, lands officer, DEO and Inspector of Schools.
LCV Chairperson John Okeya said operation was not phased.
“You cannot remove 30 officers and leave a district empty. Salaries are not processed, services are zero. It should have been phased,” Okeya said, adding education is worst hit with capitation grants delayed.
“I have also been instructed to disband the district service commission on allegation of selling jobs, meaning I have to go back to council to constitute a new one which might take time yet we need to recruit,” he said.
“But the minister did a good thing because corruption was becoming normal. Duty bearers had built a strong network to extent office assistants could extort money,” Okeya said, citing an assistant who extorted a job applicant in his name and was forced to refund.
CAO Richard Wambi said interdicted officers are heads of departments and key vote signatories.
“We are at crossroads. We are temporarily filling gaps with junior officers as investigations take course,” Wambi said. He said salary payment for September was piecemeal and October likely affected.
Interdicted officers called it witch-hunt.
“We were not given chance to be heard. Minister just issued directive without investigations. This is witch-hunt because we refused to give land to some powerful people,” one sub-county chief said anonymously