Moroto District has gone more than a year without a District Engineer after repeated recruitment efforts failed to attract a qualified candidate, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Kassim Kutosi, has revealed.
Kutosi made the disclosure during the Regional Accountability Forum organized by Riamiriam in Moroto, where participants raised concerns about the Public Service Commission’s inability to fill key technical positions across the Karamoja sub-region.
“We have consistently re-advertised the position, but nobody has qualified,” Kutosi said. “We are giving priority to people from Karamoja, but even then, none of the applicants have met the criteria.”
He urged residents of Karamoja to pursue education in specialized and technical fields to improve future employability, particularly in sectors experiencing critical staffing gaps.
Kutosi also cautioned against reducing district employment to tribal or ethnic considerations.
“Working at the district should not be reduced to tribe. Any Ugandan should be allowed to work anywhere as long as they are qualified for the job,” he emphasized.
Local leaders at the forum echoed the call for enhanced capacity building and mentorship programs to equip Karamoja youth with the skills necessary to fill technical government positions, which remain vacant across several districts in the region.