The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Betty Kamya, has asked Ugandans to reject poor services from government offices.
Kamya made these remarks during a press briefing held at the Media Centre in Kampala on October 10, 2024.
The IGG said that Ugandans, while demanding services, shouldn’t be taken for granted, and civil servants shouldn’t act like they are doing Ugandans a favor while performing their mandatory roles.
She also cautioned public servants against maladministration and ensured acceptable accountability to improve service deliveries.
“You are the taxpayers, and you are the boss; therefore, you are entitled to get good services from any public office,” Kamya added.
Kamya further advocated for a mindset change of public officers to be patriotic and serve the country.
Munira Ali, the Inspectorate spokesperson, said that many people know the IGG’s office just for combating corruption, but there is a lot that it does to ensure that public officers offer the required services that people deserve.
“Apart from combating corruption, we ensure that there is no misuse of public office, and this comes in many ways: delayed salary payments, mistreatment at work, delayed services like land titles, permits, and other government documents, delayed pension payments, and many other cases of neglect of office, Munira said.
Munira added that the IGG office will commemorate International Ombuds Day 2024 on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
It is a day to remind the general public of the roles of the office of the Ombudsman (IGG) office.
“As we commemorate the International Ombuds Day, we encourage the citizens to report all forms of maladministration, administrative injustices, and corruption. The complaints may include citizens, administrators of deceased public servants’ estates, local leaders, ordinary leaders, whistleblowers, and senior citizens, among others,” Munira said.
According to Wandeka, a practicing lawyer in Kampala, many people spend money to get legal services, which are offered for free at the office of the IGG.
“For example, if you are a government worker and you are being unfairly terminated, why go somewhere else when the office of the IGG handles such cases as sexual harassment at the place of work and any other employer-employee misunderstandings?” Wandeka said.
The commemoration of International Ombuds Day happens every second Thursday of October worldwide, and in Uganda, it has been postponed to Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
