Govt has over 150,000 vacant posts - report

Auditor General, John Muwanga. File photo

EMPLOYMENT|GOVERNMENT 

KAMPALA - The Auditor General, John Muwanga, has said that out of the total Government staff establishment of 469,216 positions, only 311,987 positions have been filled.

Muwanga's latest report to Parliament noted that this has left a gap of 157,229 (34%) vacant posts across government ministries, departments, agencies/ local governments.

"These vacant posts include key staffing posts such as Doctors, Clinical Officers, Professors, Theatre Staff, Human Resource Officers, Legal Officers and Commissioners among others," the report for the financial year ended June 30, 2018 said.

The report stated that the major staffing shortfalls were noted in Local Governments, Public Universities and Directorate of Public Prosecutions with staffing levels of only 30%, 40% and 41% respectively which are far below the recommended minimum staffing level of 65%.

"Police and Prisons are equally substantially affected. Inadequate staffing affects the timely implementation of entity activities and may adversely impact on the entities in the achievement of its strategic objectives," Muwanga said.

He argued that the matter requires urgent attention. "I advised accounting officers to make concerted efforts in engaging with all stakeholders to ensure that vacant posts are filled to enable the entities adequately deliver on their mandate."

Vacant posts in some entities

The report says in the Financial Intelligence Authority, out of 64 posts established, 39 were filled; in National Population Council, out of 84 posts established, 49 were occupied; in Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, out of 132 posts established, 101 were filled.  

In Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority, out of 58 established posts, 30 were filled; in Dairy Development Authority, out of 140 posts that were established, 65 were filled; in National Agricultural Research Organization, out of 994 posts that were established, 881 were filled; in National Animal Genetics and Data Bank, out of 313 posts that were established only 142 were filled; in Higher Education Students Financing Board, out of 36 posts established, 21 were filled.

Out of 109 posts that were established in National Drug Authority, only 32 were filled; in Allied Health Professionals Council, out of 69 posts that were established, 45 were filled; in Uganda Cancer Institute, out of 294 posts established, 209 were filled; in Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, out of  26 posts established, 19 were filled; in National Information Technology Authority-Uganda, out of 157 posts established, 66 were filled.

Muwanga's report also says in Uganda Institute of Communications Technology (UICT), out of 107 posts established, 44 were filled; in Uganda Registration Services Bureau- Operations, out of 332 posts that were established, 149 were filled; in Amnesty Commission out of 75 established posts, 38 were filled; in National Identification and Registration Authority, out of 864 posts established, only 206 were filled; in National Council for Disability, out of 12 posts established, 8 were filled; in National Women's Council out of 8 posts established, 6 were filled; in National Youth Council, out of 14 posts established, 9 were filled.

In Uganda National Cultural Centre, out of 57 posts established, 38 were filled; in Uganda Industrial Research Institute, out of 560 posts established, only 282 were filled; in Uganda National Bureau of Standards, out of 640 posts established, 306 were filled; in Uganda Wildlife Conservation & Education Centre, out of 59 posts established, 39 were filled.