Panic is mounting in Parliament as the ongoing validation of staff exposes concerns over recruitment practices, with some MPs reportedly calling the Speaker and Deputy Speaker to intervene on behalf of their relatives employed in the institution.
The exercise, which began on Monday, October 19, follows a meeting between Speaker Jacob Oboth and Head of Public Service Lucy Nakyobe. It is intended to verify the identities, academic qualifications, appointment documents and positions of Parliament employees.
The exercise comes amid concerns about alleged irregularities in Parliament’s staffing, including reports of individuals receiving salaries despite not working at the institution. There are also concerns about the employment of relatives of some MPs and government officials in the Parliamentary Service.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has revealed that he and Oboth have been receiving calls from people seeking assistance as the verification exercise continues, including calls from some MPs.
“If at verification they are asking for your appointment letter, they are asking for your academic documents, your national ID, now why do you call a Speaker to help you?” Tayebwa said.
He said the exercise was intended to ensure that Parliament had the right people in the right positions, suggesting that employees with the required documentation had little reason to fear the process.
Oboth has also dismissed reports of panic among parliamentary staff, insisting that the exercise is a routine administrative process intended to restore order, integrity and morale in the institution.
“I have seen some reports in the media about the ongoing validation exercise of the staff of the Parliamentary Service. There is no panic. There’s bliss!” Oboth said.
He explained that he had sought Nakyobe’s assistance to guarantee fairness and transparency, arguing that the Parliamentary Service was part of the wider public service.
“For fairness and transparency, I requested the assistance of the Head of Public Service because Parliamentary Service is indeed Public Service,” he said.
The Speaker said the new parliamentary leadership was not interested in seeing employees lose their jobs but wanted to ensure that appointments and promotions were based on merit, qualifications and experience.
“It is not the interest of the new leadership of Parliament to see anyone lose a job. The nation should not overthink this. Everyone should take it easy and keep serving,” he said.
Oboth added that the exercise would help address discrepancies between employees’ job titles, qualifications and experience, insisting that senior positions should be occupied by people who meet the required standards.
“When you are called a senior, you should actually be a senior. When you are a principal, you should actually be a principal. You can become a director whether you joined in 2024 or 2026, but it must come with the right qualifications and experience,” he said.
He compared public service to a race in which all employees should have an equal opportunity to compete and advance based on merit.
“Everyone should begin from the same starting line and run fairly to the finish. That is all this validation seeks to ensure,” he said.
Drawing from his own career, Oboth said he had risen through the ranks on merit after undergoing interviews and competing with other candidates.
“I grew up through merit. I did interviews from the entry point and was shortlisted among many. I had no godparent in public service. God was instead, my parent. I know it is possible to grow. And as Parliamentary Service, we are taking the lead on this,” he said.
He appealed to parliamentary staff to remain patient and continue with their duties as the validation exercise proceeds.
