Uganda's Chief Justice Flavian Nzeija has called on the newly sworn-in Public Service Commission to carry out its work with honesty, openness and integrity, NTV Uganda reports.
The nine-member commission took its oath before the Chief Justice, who used the occasion to press the team on the values expected of it. His remarks came against a backdrop of complaints from a number of District Public Service Commissions, which have raised allegations of extortion and bribery in the recruitment of government workers, according to NTV Uganda.
Vincent Seruma, who heads the commission, said the team is prepared for the work that lies ahead.
The swearing-in places the new members in charge of hiring and related decisions across the public service, a process that has drawn scrutiny at the district level. The complaints reported by NTV Uganda point to concerns about how recruitment is conducted outside the centre, and the Chief Justice's message tied the commission's mandate directly to conduct rather than procedure alone.
By naming truthfulness, transparency and integrity, the Chief Justice framed the commission's task as one that depends on how its members behave in practice. The allegations from district commissions, which the report does not detail further, give that instruction a specific context: recruitment decisions that the public expects to be free of improper payments.
Seruma's response was brief, indicating the commission accepts the responsibility placed on it.
What to watch next: whether the commission issues any statement or measures addressing the bribery and extortion complaints raised by district bodies, and how those allegations are handled going forward.
