The head of Public Service, Lucy Nakyobe, has directed authorities across the country to remove all campaign posters now that the elections are over, warning that failure to comply could carry consequences.
She made the call while opening the annual general assembly of town clerks in Bushenyi District.
“You all know that elections are done. It's now your duty to ensure that towns are clean. From here, I am directing you to remove all campaign posters from wherever they are with immediate effect,” Nakyobe said, urging town clerks to also reconcile citizens who may have disagreed over the elections.
Nakyobe further instructed officials to shut down buildings without septic tanks, emphasizing public health.
“Clean city or town is not a luxury but a public health factor that each of you must comply with. Why do you superintend areas that are dirty?” she questioned.
Nakyobe warned that during the rainy season, improper sewage disposal creates serious health hazards.
“If you find any building without a septic tank, please close it immediately until the owner establishes one,” she added.
The Public Service chief also warned against complacency among town clerks, demanding that they remain at their duty stations.
“If you know that you no longer want to work, please leave this job immediately. A town clerk is deployed in Busia but spends 90% of their time in Kampala. Someone is deployed to Mbale but is found in Bugiri. You must be at your workplaces, and if you can't accept that, please leave this job now,” she said.
Local Government Minister Raphael Magyezi echoed the call for accountability, stressing that town clerks must demonstrate developmental progress in their areas.
“You cannot be a town clerk for five years and have no single factor to say I have helped this town to change from this level to this level,” he said.
While town clerks raised concerns over low remuneration and allowances, the government promised to address salary disparities. Some clerks have also been accused of failing to collect local revenues.
“There could be complacency whereby revenue is not collected and mobilized. But we have deployed the Integrated Revenue Administration System, which captures all potential sources of revenue, collection, and expenditure. We think this will enable them to collect local revenues,” said Benjamin Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government.
Nakyobe also condemned corruption within technical departments, especially in procurement offices and service commissions.
“Never tell somebody, ‘We shall see.’ What does that ‘We shall see’ mean? People who are in their offices saying ‘we shall see’ should have vacated yesterday because this has continued to brew corruption,” she warned.