MPs summon Bitarakwate over KCCA director's appointment

KCCA

KAMPALA - MPs on Parliament's Committee on commission, state authorities and state enterprises have summoned the permanent secretary ministry of Public Service Catherine Bitarakwate to explain the circumstances under which senior staff at Kampala Capital City Authority were recruited without the required qualification.

This was after the MPs learnt that some of the requirements for the position of the physical planning director, Kampala Capital City Authority were waived off in favour of the current director Moses Atwine.

The Public Service Commission chairman, retired Justice Raphael Ochan told the MPs on Wednesday that the requirement for an honour‘s degree in physical planning was waived, on the instruction of the Permeant Secretary Ministry of Public Service.

"The requirement for any position is set by the entity. However, in the case of Atwine, we were given his name and instruction to assess and consider him for the position without considering the requirement of a degree in physical planning," Achan said, tabling the instructions.

"Reference is made to the letter from the permanent secretary Ministry of Public Service dated May5, 2016 waiving the requirement of an honour's degree in physical planning in the case of Moses Atwine Kanuniira and requesting that you present his case to the Commission, to assess his suitability for appointment to the post of director physical planning," KCCA Director Human Resource Richard Lule wrote to the Commission.

He was quoting Public Service letter dated May 5, 2016, waiving the requirement. Although Ochan apologised to the committee chaired by Mubarak Munyagwa for failure to reject the waive, he said the Commission plans to sit and review the decision.

While interacting with KCCA officials last month, the MPs learnt that whereas the KCCA director physical planning is required to hold a university degree either in Urban, Physical or Regional Planning as a foundational course, Atwine's degree at that level is a Bachelor of Social Sciences according to Richard Lule, the institution's director administration and human resource management.

Lule said that besides having a relevant degree in planning, the candidate was also required to possess a master's degree in a similar field, be a member of a professional association and have 10 years' experience of which five were served at the level of a commissioner or head of the government department.

Atwine admitted that at the time of his appointment, he neither had the 10 years' experience nor served five years at the level of the commissioner and that he was not a member of the Uganda Institute of Physical Planners. However, he noted that he was a fully registered member of the International Institute of development planners.

MP Muhamad Nsereko proposed to the Committee that the members should not investigate one case but all the heads of departments.

"We must not look at one case; otherwise we stand to be accused of being vindictive. It should be on all staff of KCCA because they could be worse off," he said.

The MPs also asked Ochan to come with all the minutes confirming the appointment of the top directors including those on contract.