UNEB starts process to replace Bukenya

By Innocent Anguyo          

KAMPALA - The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has kick-started the process of recruiting a replacement for the entity’s long-serving executive secretary, Mathew Bukenya.

The board is developing guidelines for hiring an independent recruitment firm to undertake the process.

“The Appointments and Disciplinary Committee is drafting the guidelines for the whole process of recruiting the new executive secretary,” the board’s interim chairperson Prof Mary Okwakol told New Vision.

The new executive secretary is expected to assume office on December 1, 2015.

The process of recruiting Bukenya’s successor is a lengthy one, which involves the procurement of an independent firm, the drafting of the guidelines, interviewing of the candidates. After interviews, the most suitable candidate is appointed and inducted into the job.

In essence, there will be a three-month spell between appointment and handover (from Bukenya to successor).

The period of three months has been provided to allow the incoming executive secretary to give ample notice to his or her employer (if applicable), according to Hamis Kaheru, the UNEB spokesman.

Bukenya’s contract expired in December 2012 after 16 years at the helm of the national examinations body. Since then, he has been serving in acting capacity.

Last month, the board resolved to give Bukenya’s contract a final extension that runs up to November 30, 2015.

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Fagil Mandy, the former UNEB chairman.

Spokesman  Kaheru had said the extension was aimed at allowing a smooth transition –  from Bukenya to his successor.

This recruitment process comes a few months after the IGG, Justice Irene Mulyagonja called for the termination of the first one, after it was discovered that the board’s former chairman Fagil Mandy flouted the exercise to favor a certain candidate.

The IGG had ordered the education minister, Jessica Alupo, to nullify all proceedings prior to the interviews.

“The recruitment process for the new executive secretary should be restarted from the very beginning by drafting the person specifications for the position taking into account the UNEB personnel manual,” Mulyagonja said then.

A total of 53 candidates had applied for the job, although Mandy was accused of favouring John Bosco Ntangaare, who had reportedly scored best in the interviews with 76.5%.

Whistleblowers had leveled other copious accusations on Mandy, including forming and illegally paying an irregular committee outside UNEB to handle part of the recruitment exercise.

Although the report exonerated Mandy on some allegations, the IGG found him culpable on a number of accounts including swaying the process to favor Ntangaare.

The report showed that Ntangaare’s eventual win was a result of Mandy’s calculated move.

The former board chairperson awarded Ntangaare a very high score of 90% which other panelist thought was unusual.

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