Uganda public servants warned accountability is not optional

KAMPALA — Uganda’s public servants must treat accountability as a core duty and be ready to explain how they make decisions and spend state resources, Deputy Inspector General of Government Patricia Achan Okiria said on Tuesday.
Okiria said weak accountability could undermine public confidence in government and urged officials to ensure that their decisions, spending, appointments, procurement and use of government property could withstand scrutiny.
“Accountability” is both a constitutional and ethical obligation, she said in a keynote address on transparency and integrity at the Ministry of Public Service’s annual staff meeting in Kampala.
Public officials should focus on three areas, Okiria said: the decisions they make, the authority they exercise and the way they manage public resources.
Government funds and property should be used only for authorised purposes and properly documented and accounted for, she said.
Service delivery is the test
Okiria said citizens assess government less by official speeches than by the services they encounter in their daily lives.
The availability of medicines at health centres, qualified staff, functioning roads, quality education and efficient processing of public applications are among the areas through which citizens judge government performance, she said.
“Citizens experience Government when medicines are available at health centres, when skilled personnel are present, when children receive quality education, when roads are maintained, when applications are processed efficiently, and when public officials treat them with dignity and fairness,” Okiria said.
She urged ministry employees to view every interaction with citizens as an opportunity to strengthen trust in public institutions.
Her remarks come as Uganda continues efforts to improve public-sector accountability, combat corruption and protect government resources as part of its broader development agenda.
Katumba urges teamwork
Public Service Minister Gen Katumba Wamala separately called on ministry employees to work together and maintain professional standards.
“Success comes when all of us work together. So when we deliver results, we win as one team,” Katumba said.
He also urged staff to respect one another regardless of rank and to maintain professionalism in carrying out their duties.
The remarks were made during the Ministry of Public Service annual staff Baraza at the National Records and Archives Centre in Kampala.