Wakiso District Council has approved a four-member District Service Commission after nearly a year without one.
This paves the way for recruitment of staff to fill critical vacancies, particularly in the health and education sectors.
The commission was approved during a Thursday special council sitting, with district leaders warning the new members against corruption, including extorting money from applicants in exchange for jobs.
According to Mr Jude Mark Bukenya, the Wakiso District Chief Administrative Officer, the names of the approved commissioners will be submitted to the Public Service Commission for approval. Once approved, Mr Bukenya said the district will advertise vacant positions in the media next month.
"We are not going to tolerate corruption, this should be at the back of all members of the commission. Let them work with integrity and transparency to recruit qualified workers on merit," Mr Bukenya said.
He said education and health will be prioritised because the two departments have significant staffing gaps.
"Some of the workers in senior positions are in acting capacity. This is an opportunity for them to compete for these jobs," he said.
Among the senior vacant positions include District Health Officer, which fell vacant in December last year, and District Education Officer, which has been vacant since October 2025.
Eng. Ian Kyeyune, the district chairperson, commended the approved commissioners, describing them as people of high integrity with vast experience.
"We expect them to serve Wakiso with commitment and diligence to ensure the district gets a credible workforce," he said.
He warned that the council would take action against any commissioner who fails to meet the expected standards.
He said Section 59(9) of the Local Government Act provides for the removal of members of a District Service Commission under the prescribed circumstances.
"I don't take three years to detect someone wrong. I will bring them back here because that part of the law provides that we can recommend their removal," Mr Kyeyune said.
Mr Timothy Mutesasira, the newly approved chairperson of the commission, pledged to help clean up the image of Wakiso District and ensure that recruitment is conducted transparently.
He is a retired public servant and consultant, former Member of Parliament for Busiro East and a born of Kavumba in Wakiso District.
Mr Bashir Sserunkuuma, another approved member, promised to work tirelessly to strengthen integrity in the district and support the President's call to fight corruption.
Ms Juliet Najjuma, the approved urban councils' representative, said she would use her knowledge of rural-urban development to effectively represent urban authorities on the commission.
She pledged to serve with integrity, saying corruption should be handled with zero tolerance.
Meanwhile, the council also passed a supplementary budget of Shs734 million to support health interventions in the district. Of the amount, Shs591 million was received from the Ministry of Health through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) to facilitate the implementation of the Measles-Rubella campaign scheduled for October 1 to October 5.
The Infectious Diseases Institute contributed an additional Shs143 million to strengthen health systems.
District leaders said the supplementary funding will support the implementation of the health activities and strengthen service delivery as the district prepares for the vaccination campaign.
