PS to civil servants: desist from sexual harassment

 By Francis Emorut                                         

The acting permanent secretary in the ministry of public service, Adah Muwanga, has warned civil servants to desist from sexual harassment and corruption but remain officers of integrity.

“You should exhibit high degree of integrity and professionalism in execution of duties. Sexual harassment and corruption shouldn’t be your way of life but you are supposed to be exemplary,” Muwanga told over 400 human resources officers.
She warned that those found in the ‘game’ will lose their jobs.

The permanent secretary was speaking during the opening of the forum for human resource officers at Civil Service College Uganda in Jinja on Wednesday.

The forum brought together human resource officers from 28 ministries and over 100 local government departments and agencies.

The three day meeting is intended to enhance personal effectiveness of human resource officers, provide a synopsis of all the current reforms in the public service  and discuss solutions to key challenges affecting the human resource management function in the public service as well as identifying the contemporary roles and competencies of human resources officers in the public service.

Muwanga implored the civil servants to demonstrate competence and act at strategic level to meet the plans and objectives of the ministries and departments they work for.

She also called on human resource officers to build meaningful and cordial relationship with fellow officers they work with.

On sexual harassment the permanent secretary was backed by the state minister of public service, Sezi Mbaguta, who said the practice should not be heard of among the human resource officers.

“There should be no sexual harassment in the human resource cadreship,” Mbaguta stated.

Cases of sexual harassment are rampant in government offices and in the private sector where some bosses demand sex from their subordinates sometimes promising them promotion.

The minister said the habit should not be entertained among the public officers.

She called on public officers to show cause why they should be employed by government if they are not performing to their expectation as far as human resource management is concerned.

She urged the civil servants to change their work attitude and deliver services to the public promptly especially to pensioners.

“It will no longer be business as usual for you. You must critically examine the human resource management practices and change those which are sluggish and bureaucratic to those that are effective and efficient in addressing the needs of the service,” she said.

Participants take on sexual harassment

Vanice Nsungwa human resource officer from Kyenjonjo agreed with minister and permanent secretary that issues of sexual harassment in work places should be addressed.

She said it hinders high performance in the work place as much attention is paid to love affairs.

Baker Busobozi human resource officer from Kabarole pointed out that sexual harassment was common among the bosses who want to take advantage of their positions to lure the subordinates into sex.