By Emmanuel Olinga
KATAKWI
The Ministry of Public Service has cleared a wage bill of 9 billion Shillings to support a massive recruitment drive for Katakwi District.
This was revealed by the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Samuel Becker Opio on Monday 15th September 2025 who says the Ministry of Public Service has cleared a wage bill of 9 billion Shillings to support the recruitment.
He says that out of the Shs9 billion, 954 million Shillings is earmarked for agricultural extension workers, 4 billion Shillings for secondary school operationalization, 1 billion Shillings for public health care staff, another 1 billion Shillings for traditional local-government staff, and 225 million Shillings for technical school operations.
This revelation however, prompted the Vice President, Jessica Alupo to sound a serious warning to the Katakwi District Service Commission and others in Teso Sub region against extorting applicants during recruitment processes.
The caution, issued by Vice President Jessica Alupo, follows years of persistent complaints that applicants must pay hefty bribes to secure government jobs. The alert comes as Katakwi District prepares a major hiring drive to fill vacancies for teachers, health workers, agricultural extension officers, and other technical staff.
Katakwi is no stranger to recruitment scandals. In the 2020–2021 cycle, several successful applicants were blocked from appointment after an extortion racket surfaced, triggering public outrage.
The vice president now warns District Service Commissions (DSCs) and council clerks across Teso to avoid any repeat of those practices. “Jobs must be awarded strictly on merit,” Alupo stressed, calling for a culture of patriotism and proposing open community-style “Baraza” interviews so the public can scrutinise recruitment decisions.
Alupo’s concerns are backed by stark national data. A recent Inspectorate of Government (IG) report found that between 2018 and 2022, job seekers in Uganda’s local governments paid at least 29 billion Shillings in bribes to secure public-service positions.
Bribes averaged about 3 million Shillings for lower-level posts like nursing assistants and Grade III teachers, while senior positions such as heads of department cost up to 50 million Shillings. The IG estimates applicants were asked for a staggering 78 billion Shillings in bribes over just five years.
With unemployment high in the public sector, Jobs are fiercely sought after. Experts say Uganda’s recruitment system is under intense pressure and vulnerable to abuse. Alupo argues that patriotism training for District Service Commission members and greater community oversight are critical to rebuilding confidence.
