Writes Leo Odera Omolo

THE demarcation of 23 districts effective July 1, has created 3,000 jobs.
The new districts include Nwoya, Alebtong, Bukomansibi, Gomba, Mitooma, Serere, Napak, Kole, Buvuma, Kween, Kyankwanzi, Lwengo, Agago, Butambala and Namayingo.

Each of them needs at least 150 staff. Some of the district leaders who spoke to Saturday Vision said they wanted to recruit immediately, while others want to fill the positions after elections.

Currently, the new districts are operating with skeleton staff they inherited from their mother districts.

Buvuma district, for instance, has only two members of staff – a chief administrative officer (CAO) and his deputy.

“Buvuma got only one person from Mukono,” the chairman, Alex Mabirizi, said. “We need 20 more staff to be able to run the district in the short term. At the moment, we are considering getting staff from other districts Mukono.”

Similarly, Butambala has only one employee in the education department, yet it needs five. “The district intends to recruit as soon as possible,” says LC5 chairman Bavekuno Kyeswa.

Kalungu district, which was carved from Masaka, currently has only 12 staff, says Juliet Nakatte, the CAO.

In Lubirizi district, the LC5 chairman David Kisembo, says they have so far got only heads of departments, who have embarked on planning for the district.

Mohamed Nakeba, the chairman of Kibuku district, says he got 27 staff from Pallisa district. “The good thing is that they are committed and are doing the work meant to be done in other offices which are not yet filled.”

The Nwoya district chairman, Patrick Okello, told Saturday Vision that he had 26 staff. “We need more and at the moment we are considering borrowing the services of the neighbouring district service commissions to recruit for us.”

Those eyeing the jobs in the districts should also consider the opportunities in the mother districts which remained with gaps after giving out their staff to the new districts.

A district like Mukono which gave out about 25 staff to Buikwe and Buvuma will also have to fill those positions.
Apart from the 3,000 jobs in the new districts, there are also some opportunities that exist in the districts which started operating in the previous financial year, such as Buikwe.

The Buikwe LC5 chairman, Matthias Kigongo, says the district has 24 staff some of whom are occupying two or more offices.

Kigongo says the district will recruit more staff after the general elections. Buikwe has not secured a district service commission and as a result, cannot recruit staff. He says the new leaders will set up the commission.

In Namutumba, the LC5 chairman Michael Saire, says they have had only 55% of the required staff since 2006, when the district was created.

In addition to the districts, the eight new municipalities are also planning to recruit.

They are Mukono, Kasese, Hoima, Ntungamo, Busia, Masindi, Bushenyi and Iganga. Mukono Central Division chairman Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga said they need about 129 employees in the municipality.

ENDS.