MPs Grill Goobi Over Finance Ministry Officials Stuck in Acting Positions for Up to 11 Years

What the report says

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Central (PAC-Central) has challenged Finance Ministry leaders over a long-running practice of keeping senior staff in acting positions far beyond the six-month limit set under the Public Service Standing Orders. The issue came up during an oversight session with Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Goobi, where lawmakers said some officials had remained in temporary roles for as long as 11 years.

According to Nile Post, MPs asked the ministry’s delegation to state how long individual officials had been acting in their posts. One officer, Godfrey Ssemugooma, said he had served in an acting capacity for 11 years, while Ashaba Hannington said he had acted as Director of Budget for two years. Other officials confirmed their substantive appointments during the exercise.

Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba, who chaired the session, said the ministry should account for each officer and explain why appointments had not been regularised. Wakiso Woman MP and Shadow Minister for Labour Betty Naluyima argued that prolonged acting roles can discourage public servants and slow career progression.

Goobi told the committee the problem was longstanding and linked to staffing gaps, especially at director level, as well as interdictions and court cases involving some officers. He said the ministry was working with the relevant authorities to address the backlog, but Nsamba said that explanation did not excuse ignoring the legal time limit. The committee’s questioning highlights broader concerns about public-sector staffing, promotion delays and compliance with administrative rules.