Kisoro’s New CAO receives Controversial Number of Civil Servants

By Dickens Twinomujuni

The outgoing Kisoro Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Hajji Swaib Balaba has said he was not chased away from Kisoro, in a bid to counter social media gossip.

Balaba handed over office to Mr John Nyakahuma, who assumed office on Monday, following a short handover ceremony at Kisoro District Council hall. He only served Kisoro for six months in acting capacity.

When news broke out that he was being replaced, social media users wondered why he was leaving Kisoro after serving for six months. They argued that marathon transfers of Kisoro’s civil servants was partly to blame for poor service delivery.

“Kisoro people gave me a good working atmosphere. I have performed to my full capacity. I succeeded in some things but failed in others.” Said Balaba.

“But the issue of corruption, that is a very difficult. Kisoro people are good, they are welcoming, I can’t say they have any problem.

He accused some officials of trying to influence him to make decisions.

“But when it comes to work, some take it otherwise. I have been advising them to change for the better so that we all succeed. There are some individuals who want to cross into other people’s lanes. Trying to do the CAO’s duties yet they are not supposed to be doing them…trying to do the RDC’s duties yet they are not supposed to be doing them. That’s why I am advising that let everyone remain in their lanes.” Said Mr Balaba.

In his remarks, John Nyakahuma, the incoming district administrator expressed worry over performance of the health sector.

Mr Nyakahuma told the gathering that he had visited Muramba Health Center III where he found only one staff attending to patients.

“What I have found out, health workers are not on ground…I found no health worker there who is on government payroll. There was only a volunteer who has been there for some time. We even checked on the patients in one of the wards, there was no one. There was one on the drip, and the drip was running out and the people were worried because blood had started coming.” He said.

Mr Nyakahuma also said he doubted the actual number of civil servants in Kisoro, with officials giving him unmatching figures.

“The data is not tallying. Human Resource is saying 2550 staff, CAO is saying 2519 staff, the payroll I got from Human Resource is saying 2,600 staff…those things I think we need to address those ones.”

On corruption, the incoming CAO called for concerted efforts, saying job adverts would have a warning against corruption.

Meanwhile, Kisoro district vice chairperson Alex Nambajimana asked the appointing authority to post a deputy CAO to Kisoro, to improve on service delivery.

“Its been long since we had a deputy CAO. Isn’t that corruption from the centre? How do you tell me the whole government has failed to get someone to appoint here as a deputy CAO! The office has been closed.” Said Nambajimana.

In his remarks, Kisoro Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hajji Badru Sebyala warned civil servants against actively participating in forthcoming elections.

He said authorities reflected on the recent by-election in which some technocrats openly campaigned for some candidates.