Over 81,000 Ugandans apply for 277 govt jobs as unemployment bites

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The Public Service Commission (PSC) has received an overwhelming 81,873 applications for 277 graduate entry-level vacancies across 18 government entities, New Vision Online has learnt.

Ministry officials made the revelation at a media briefing on September 10, 2025, at Farmers House in Kampala city.

Winnie Agnes Kabogoza, the chairperson of the Public Service Commission, said the response demonstrates the continued demand for public service jobs among Uganda’s youth and graduates.

Out of the total applications, 43,123 met the shortlisting criteria and were published on the PSC website on September 1, 2025. She noted that the overwhelming numbers reveal the state of unemployment in the country.

Applicants appeal for fair treatment

“Applicants who were not shortlisted were given an opportunity to appeal, and so far, more than 400 appeals have been received and are being processed,” Kabogoza noted.

She emphasized that all PSC services are free of charge and urged candidates to rely only on the official website for authentic information.

Kabogoza further revealed that the Graduate Recruitment Exercise (GRE) continues to face challenges such as incomplete applications, candidates applying for the wrong jobs, and others creating multiple accounts on the e-recruitment system.

The chairperson of Uganda's Public Service Commission, Agnes Kabogoza Musoke. (Credit: Ponsiano Nsimbi)

She added that these issues slow down the recruitment process, often requiring manual verification.

Speaking at the same event, Dr John Geoffrey Mbabazi, Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Commission, outlined the roadmap for the 2025 recruitment exercise.

He said candidates who were successfully shortlisted will sit for aptitude tests between September 15 and 26, 2025, at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

“The details of when each candidate is expected to sit for the test will be published on the Commission’s website by September 12, 2025. We encourage applicants to disregard misleading information circulating on WhatsApp groups impersonating the Commission,” Dr Mbabazi cautioned.

He urged candidates to carry national identification cards, arrive an hour early, and avoid unnecessary luggage due to security and logistical considerations.

The Permanent Secretary added that results of the aptitude tests will be released by October 6, 2025, followed by oral interviews from October 13 to 31, 2025.

“The final results are expected on November 10, 2025, with six candidates shortlisted for every available position,” he said.

On his part, Kiberu Ronald, Commissioner for Guidance and Monitoring at the PSC, stressed the Commission’s ongoing efforts to sensitise applicants and strengthen integrity in the recruitment process.

He said misinformation, especially through social media platforms, has been one of the biggest threats to the exercise.

“We are working closely with security agencies to track down impersonators and scammers who mislead applicants or attempt to solicit money in the name of the Commission. Such perpetrators have been dealt with in the past and will continue to face legal consequences,” Kiberu warned.

The unemployment problem

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), the graduate unemployment rate currently stands at 15.2%.

Speaking at a high-level meeting held at Makerere University recently, UBOS Deputy Executive Director, Vincent Fred Ssenono, attributed the challenge to the increasing number of graduates entering the labour market.

“Unemployment in this context refers to young people between 18 to 30 years who have the skills required to perform a job, actively seek work, but remain without income-generating opportunities,” Ssenono explained.

One of the proposed measures he noted, is the introduction of placement programs within all Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and private sector companies.

These programs aim to provide fresh graduates with hands-on experience by incentivising employers through tax relief and wage subsidies, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Notably, Uganda’s public service employs about 400,000 employees in the country, according to Kabogoza. However, a recent report revealed that there are about 250,000 unfilled public service positions.

The commission’s chairperson said the commission is trying to work with the private sector for job placements since there are limited positions in the public sector.