By George Bukenya
Kampala–Minister of ICT and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba has directed permanent secretaries to initiate disciplinary proceedings against errant government communication officers who refuse to comply with transfer instructions, amid a continuing dispute involving Ministry of Works and Transport for Public Relations officer Suzan Kataike.
Speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, Lumumba said all civil servants, including communication officers, are subject to transfers across government ministries and agencies must comply with official deployment decisions.
She directed permanent secretaries to ensure that officers who have refused to report to their new duty stations should be forcefully removed from office and be subjected to the appropriate disciplinary processes.
“Please, the directive is that whoever has refused to follow the instructions as per the transfer letter should be subjected to the disciplinary process,” Lumumba said, adding that she expects a report on the matter.
The minister defended the transfers, arguing that government employees serve the same administration under similar terms of appointment and can be re-assigned to different ministries or agencies in the interest of public service.
“The President goes back to seek a mandate from the voters in Uganda every after five years. They can vote him or her in, or vote him or her out. So, if it can happen to a president, how about somebody with delegated powers as a communications officer?” she said.
Lumumba also urged officers who have already been transferred to report to their new workstations, saying government positions should be served in the interest of all Ugandans.
“Uganda belongs to all of us. If you have been transferred, you go to where you have been transferred and let somebody else take on that,” she said.
Kataike Transfer Dispute Escalates
Lumumba’s directive comes amid an escalating dispute involving Suzan Kataike, a government communication officer who has served at the Ministry of Works for nearly 25 years.
Kataike has reportedly been transferred to the Ministry of Justice in the latest changes affecting government communication officers. However, sources familiar with the matter say she has again declined to leave her workstation and report to her new posting.
The latest transfer follows an earlier dispute in which Kataike was moved from the Ministry of Works to the Ministry of East African Affairs. She was reportedly replaced by Pius Mwinganisa, who was transferred from the Ministry of ICT.
Kataike allegedly refused to vacate her office following the earlier reassignment, with officials claiming that she considered the new posting a “dry” office.
The Ministry of Works, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Service, is reportedly expected to take steps to enforce the latest transfer.
The dispute has brought renewed attention to the government’s authority to redeploy public officers across ministries and the disciplinary measures that may follow when employees fail to comply with official transfer instructions. Lumumba maintained that communication officers, like other civil servants, are not exempt from transfers and must follow the established procedures governing public service appoin