BY MATHIUS KAHUNNGU
Civil servants in Kasese district intending to operate private businesses have been encouraged to follow the standing orders of the public service as well as adhering to the terms of their employment.
On March 24, 2025, the government moved to ban civil servants in the education and health sectors from owning and operating private schools and health facilities.
The decision which is expected to be effected on July 01, 2025 aims to eliminate conflicts of interests that have for long undermined service delivery in public institutions.
For years, senior education and medical officers employed by the Government have simultaneously managed private schools, clinics, pharmacies and hospitals, often prioritizing their private enterprises over their official duties.
Many have been accused of neglecting government facilities while diverting resources including medicines and equipment to their private establishments.
Speaking to Messiah Radio yesterday, Mr. Joseph Nzukwa, the Chairperson for the Association of Secondary School Head teachers in Uganda, Kasese branch and the Rwenzori Sub-region, acknowledged that some civil servants were violating the standing orders of public service, 2021 through owning businesses that are in line with their government assigned duties.
This, according to him, jeopardizes their work and in turn forces government to think of implementing its policy that bans them from owning schools and hospitals.
Mr. Nzukwa, who also doubles as the Head teacher for Kasese Secondary School, advised the civil servants to read and clearly understand the laws and policies that govern their respective duties and strongly condemned public servants who he deliberately abscond from duty.
He implored the civil servants to remain committed to their work and serve their respective communities in order to have a well transformed and developed country.
ENDS