Panic As Luwero District Dismisses 20 Staff

At least 20 civil servants have been dismissed from public service in Luwero District over abandonment of duty and drunkenness. ‎‎According to a report by Luwero District LC5 Chairperson Erastus Kibirango covering the period between November 2025 and February 2026, the District Service Commission confirmed 18 staff members in service, retired three officers on medical grounds, and redesignated five others.

‎‎The commission also appointed 67 employees on probation and promoted eight staff members. ‎‎The report further indicates that the commission handled 27 disciplinary cases, recommending the termination of 20 staff members and the retirement of two others in the public interest. The sacked staff includes teachers and health workers.

‎‎Luwero District Human Resource Officer Bernard Okello said the affected employees were referred to the District Service Commission after absconding from duty for several months without permission from their supervisors, contrary to the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders. ‎‎Okello added that one employee was dismissed due to drunkenness while on duty.

‎‎He revealed that at least two of the affected workers appealed against their dismissal, but the commission upheld its decision. ‎‎According to Okello, some of the staff failed to appear before the disciplinary committee when summoned, with reports suggesting that several had left the country in search of better employment opportunities abroad.

‎‎Outgoing Bombo Town Council District Councillor Hussein Kato attributed the trend to low pay and poor working conditions, saying many workers abandon government jobs in pursuit of greener pastures overseas. ‎‎Kato also noted that some employees leave public service due to frustration and seek alternative employment elsewhere.

‎‎The district has since removed the affected staff from the payroll and recruited replacements.

‎‎This is not the first time Luwero District has taken action against absentee workers. In 2023, the district dismissed 36 teachers for absconding from duty. ‎‎The affected teachers had been deployed in various Universal Primary Schools, including Mityebiri Roman Catholic, St Theresa Kasaala Girls, Luwero Boys, Nandere, Buyuki, Malungu, Nambi UMEA, Balita Lwogi, Matembe, Kabuye, St Peter’s Semyungu, Lukomera C/U, and Anoonya Orthodox Primary School, among others.

‎‎Under Sections A-N 19 and 20 of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, a responsible officer is required to immediately stop the salary of any employee who abandons duty and submit the matter to the appointing authority for formal removal from public service. The regulations further state that any officer who abandons duty forfeits all rights and privileges attached to their office from the date of abandonment.‎‎

SOURCE: URN

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