Rukungiri– A disagreement has emerged between Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr Bron Kikanshemeza and the district Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mr Fredrick Byekwaso, over the reported interdiction of three government workers in the district.
The conflicting statements from the two senior officials have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the reported interdictions and the ongoing investigations involving the affected public servants.
During yesterday’s press briefing at his office, the Rukungiri district RDC Mr Kikanshemeza said 3 government workers in the district have been interdicted to pave a way for investigations into alleged financial mismanagement and irregularities in the implementation of government projects.
According to Mr Kikanshemeza the interdicted officials are Mr Prosper Byarugaba, Senior Assistant Secretary at Kebisoni Sub-county, Mr Alex Karamuzi, district civil engineer ,Mr Wilson John Bangyirana and a parish chief whose names were not released by press time.
” The interdictions are linked to the findings and concerns arising from the exercise, which brought together political leaders and district officials to assess the performance and implementation of government projects adding that the decision to interdict the workers followed a monitoring exercise involving the Minister for Security, the Rujumbura County Member of Parliament and other district leaders ’’ Mr Kikanshemeza said.
Alex Karamuzi, one of the said interdicted government worker. Photo by Ronald Kabanza.
Mr Kikanshemeza added that “The interdicted officials are therefore requested to lay down the tools and vacate their offices with immediate effect to all investigations into the alleged mismanagement of public funds take course and once investigations are done and found guilty they will be aligned into courts of law”.
The RDC used the same platform and urged lower-level politicians to actively monitor government-funded projects and lead the fight against corruption within their communities.
“Local leaders are the eyes and ears of the central government because the every year the government of Uganda puts billions of money in your communities and at times this huge sum of money is wasted when you are seeing. Am therefore reminding you that it is role to do oversight”. Mr Kikanshemeza added.
In the same press conference, Mr Kikanshemeza commended the district works department, led by the District Engineer for their swift action in addressing and rectifying structural defects identified on several newly constructed public projects during the last month monitoring exercise.
“The district works department have given their best because they have tried to work on the defects which were found wanting during our monitoring exercise with our dear minister of security. I therefore thank them” Mr Kikanshemeza said.
When contacted for a comment, the Rukungiri district chief administrative office (CAO) Mr Fredrick Byekwaso whose office is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administration of the district public service said his office has not interdicted any from the work.
“Who interdicted them? For me I have not any one from his or her work”. Mr Byekwaso said in a telephone interview with our reporter.
The conflicting accounts have left the circumstances surrounding the reported interdiction unclear, with the two officials offering different explanations about whether the workers have formally been interdicted.
What is interdiction?
Under Uganda’s public service framework, interdiction is an administrative measure that may be applied to a public officer in accordance with established procedures while investigations into alleged misconduct are conducted.
It does not, by itself, amount to a finding of guilt. The applicable procedures and the authority responsible for taking such action depend on the officer’s position, the nature of the allegations and the relevant public service regulations.
