Police Force Confronts Verification Challenge
A staggering total of 695 personnel within the Uganda Police Force find themselves in a state of verification limbo, as revealed by recent directives from Police authorities on Wednesday, March 12, 2024. The urgent call to action mandates unit commanders of the affected personnel to ensure their validation.
According to a statement by Police Undersecretary Aggrey Wunyi, this action follows the release of a report from the office of the Auditor General, identifying 695 personnel as unverified. Unit commanders have been tasked with accessing the list of affected personnel on the police website and informing them to report to the National Archives and Records Centre (NARC) for validation.
The verification process requires affected personnel to present a series of documents, including an introductory letter signed by the District Police Commander (DPC), a valid employee identity card, original and photocopy of their national identity card, academic and professional certificates, appointment/promotion letter, confirmation letter, current deployment letter, and pay slips for December 2023 and January 2024, signed by the responsible officer.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Service has adjusted the schedule for the validation of public servants following a surge in the number of employees participating in the exercise. The revision aims to accommodate new employees recruited after the initial validation exercise conducted by the office of the Auditor General.
State Minister for Public Service, Mary Mugasa, reiterated the consequences for public officers remaining unverified after the deadline, stating they would be permanently removed from the payroll. This stringent approach underscores the government’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and efficiency of its payroll system.
The urgency for verification stems from findings by the Auditor General, John Muwanga, revealing that 10,192 government employees should not have been on the government payroll by June 2023. An alarming annual expenditure of sh53 billion was attributed to this category of staff, as outlined in the audit report presented to Parliament on the government’s annual accounts for the year ended June 30, 2023.
The report highlighted the extensive scope of the special audit, encompassing validation of government employees across 367 entities, including ministries, agencies, departments, local governments, and other government organizations. The findings underscore the imperative for meticulous verification processes to safeguard public funds and ensure accountability within the public service sector.
