Judiciary explains suspension indecently dressed clerk

Rosemary Namuwanga. Photo/Courtesy

PUBLIC SERVICE| PROFESSION CONDUCT

The judiciary is considering taking disciplinary proceedings against a court clerk who was suspended for two weeks for turning up in the office of the Permanent Secretary in what her bosses described  ‘inappropriate' dressing that tarnished the image of the institution.

The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the judiciary, Josephine Muwonge slammed a two-week suspension to Rosemary Namuwanga attached to Kasangati Magistrate's court for alleged indecent dressing.  

Muwonge signed the letter of suspension from duty on Thursday, September 21 ‘on grounds of inappropriate dressing' and defined her attire as ‘a very short and tight dress, which by description does not fall within generally acceptable standards of the establishment notice No. 1 of 2017'.

Solomon Muyita, a communications officer with the judiciary said that after the two-week suspension, management would sit to reflect on the conduct of the clerk who also doubles as an interpreter.

"When the two weeks elapse, Namuwanga will return here and she will be advised on the next step but the administration is likely to forward her case for disciplinary measures," he said.

Muyita explained that the management will now concentrate on the way Namuwanga conducted herself before her bosses when she was told that her dress code was inappropriate.

"She was unapologetic and she insisted that her dressing was proper despite explanations from several officials in the office," he explained.

He said that on August 21, 2017, the Permanent Secretary issued out a notice to registrars, assistant registrars, chief magistrates and other judicial officers reminding them about the dressing code for the non-uniformed officers in the public service as issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Service.

According to Muyita, the PS asked the judicial officers to draw the attention of their staff at their respective stations to the dress code.

Namuwonge, according to Muyita, had been summoned to get an explanation following her complaint regarding non-payment of her salary and allowances for the month of July 2017.

"She wrote to the Human Resource complaining of non-payment for the month of July and the letter was forwarded to the PS who in turn cross-checked with the accounts department," Muyita said.

He said that it was later found out that there was just a delay in the system but the money had been processed and would finally be deposited on her account.

"Sometimes there are delays but when the process is finalized, the money is paid at once, although she suspected that she would not be paid," he said.