A serious warning has been issued in Oyam District regarding widespread corruption within the District Service Commission. During the recent change of guard for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), outgoing leader Fredrick Herbert Kitutu strongly cautioned his successor, Alex Felix Majembe, about how this corruption is harming development and the delivery of essential services to the people of Oyam.
For a long time, the Oyam District Local Government has been criticized for mismanaging public funds and failing to provide proper services. Now, leaders are clearly pointing fingers at a weak and corrupt District Service Commission as a major reason why the district isn’t moving forward. Outgoing CAO Kitutu, who served for three years, admitted that despite some progress, crucial areas like health and education, which directly impact citizens’ lives, are still struggling.
Mr. Kitutu directly linked these problems to what he called serious misconduct within the District Service Commission, particularly in hiring new staff. He claimed that job placements were often decided by favouritism, bribery, and personal connections, not by merit. He strongly advised the new CAO to keep a very close eye on the commission’s actions, warning that similar issues in the past have led to poorly managed hiring and unnecessary positions that drain district resources.
Supporting these claims, Francis Behangana, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Oyam, stated clearly that corruption in the district is not just a rumor; it’s a real problem actively sabotaging public funds meant for development. He highlighted serious issues like some public servants wasting time and, more critically, the alleged illegal selling of jobs and promotions. This widespread corruption, he warned, is directly stopping Oyam from achieving its full potential.