KIRYANDONGO, Uganda — Kiryandongo District Chief Administrative Officer Anselm Kyaligonza has declined to appoint Dr. Joshua Malo as acting District Medical Officer, saying records available to the district show that the doctor is still barred from holding a public service position.
Kyaligonza communicated his position in a letter dated Oct. 13 to Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara, following a directive for Malo to take up the acting DMO position.
Rather than proceed with the appointment, the CAO referred the minister to Malo’s previous disciplinary and court record, which he said makes the appointment legally problematic.
According to Kyaligonza, Malo was dismissed from public service by the Kiryandongo District Service Commission in October 2019 under Minute No. 251/2019. The decision followed proceedings linked to the Ministry of Health and resulted in a 10 year ban from public service.
The CAO said the ban runs from June 7, 2018, to June 6, 2028. This means the period has not yet expired.
Kyaligonza said the district could therefore not simply appoint Malo to another public service position without addressing the restriction first.
In his letter, the CAO reportedly attached documents relating to the earlier case, including the 2019 dismissal decision, a court judgment from the Anti Corruption Division and correspondence from then Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine concerning Malo’s dismissal.
The records cited by the CAO relate to Malo’s earlier service at Kiryandongo General Hospital. Kyaligonza said Malo had left the hospital for further studies without obtaining the required official study leave and did not complete the course.
He further stated that health monitoring officials found that Malo was neither at the institution where he was expected to study nor at his workplace, despite remaining on the government payroll. The matter subsequently went before the Anti Corruption Division.
The development comes as Minister Barugahara intensifies a nationwide campaign against corruption and abuse of office in local governments. The campaign has already led to investigations, arrests and interdictions of officials in several districts. In August, the minister said investigations in 12 districts had produced dozens of case files involving allegations including misuse of public funds, inflated enrolment figures, illegal charges and other abuses.
In recent weeks, Barugahara’s campaign has expanded across several regions. In Bunyoro alone, dozens of civil servants have faced interdiction or investigation over allegations of corruption and abuse of public resources.
The minister has also previously faced resistance from local officials over some of his directives. In July, he ordered the Jinja Chief Administrative Officer to step aside amid allegations of corruption and alleged concealment of wrongdoing in the district.
In the Kiryandongo case, however, the CAO did not simply reject the directive. He asked for further guidance.
Kyaligonza copied his letter to senior officials in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government and Public Service Commission, as well as the Kiryandongo Resident District Commissioner and district chairperson. He said the documentation was being provided so that the matter could be considered against the existing public service restrictions.
The case now raises questions about how ministerial directives should be handled where an individual’s previous disciplinary or criminal record may affect eligibility for a public appointment.
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