Government has announced that all future recruitment of staff for district and city local governments will be conducted through an online system in a major reform aimed at eliminating corruption, improving transparency, and modernizing public service recruitment.
The new e-recruitment platform, developed by the Ministry of Public Service, will enable job applicants to submit applications electronically, upload academic and professional documents online, and receive notifications digitally throughout the recruitment process.
Speaking on the rollout, Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara welcomed the initiative, saying it marks a significant step toward restoring integrity and fairness in local government recruitment.
“This online recruitment system will reduce physical interaction between applicants and District Service Commission officials, eliminate unnecessary paperwork, and close loopholes that have for years encouraged bribery, favoritism, and other recruitment irregularities. Government is committed to ensuring that public service jobs are awarded strictly on merit,” Barugahara said.
Balaam noted that the system will also automate shortlisting and standardize recruitment procedures across all district and city local governments, making the hiring process more efficient, accountable, and transparent.
The reform follows years of concerns raised by Parliament, oversight institutions, and anti-corruption agencies over allegations that some job seekers were forced to pay bribes to secure public service positions at district level.
According to the Ministry of Public Service, digitizing recruitment will not only reduce operational costs associated with paper-based applications but will also create a transparent audit trail for every recruitment exercise, making it easier to monitor compliance with recruitment guidelines.
Barugahara further pledged the Ministry of Local Government’s full support for the successful implementation of the system.
“Together with the Hon.Justine Nameere, and with the support of the Ministry of Public Service and the Head of Public Service, we are committed to delivering this reform successfully. This is an important milestone in Uganda’s digital transformation agenda and our efforts to build a professional, efficient and corruption-free public service,” he said.
The Ministry of Public Service says the online recruitment platform will be rolled out gradually across local governments before becoming the standard system for recruiting public servants in all districts and cities nationwide.
