Persistent absenteeism and late reporting to duty among civil servants in Kapchorwa District have come under scrutiny, with district leaders warning that the practice is undermining service delivery, weakening accountability, and creating opportunities for corruption within local government institutions. The concerns were raised during a retraining meeting for members of the District Integrity Promotion Forum held at Kapchorwa District headquarters on Friday, 11.
Vinscent Chelimo, the Chairperson of Kapchorwa district, says he has observed a growing trend of government employees reporting late for work and, in some cases, signing attendance registers before abandoning their duty stations without carrying out their responsibilities. According to Chelimo, the conduct has negatively affected service delivery and denied residents timely access to government services.
“Sometimes you find cleaners and other support staff at their desks while officers who are supposed to be providing services to the public are absent. This is not correct,” Chelimo said. He added that civil servants are entrusted with public resources and must remain accountable to the citizens they serve. “Civil servants are paid using taxpayers’ money and must account for the time they spend at work. Reporting late and disappearing from duty stations is a betrayal of public trust and affects the quality of services our people receive,” he added.
Chelimo called on the Chief Administrative Officer to strengthen supervision and ensure strict adherence to public service regulations governing attendance and working hours. The Resident District Commissioner, Stanley Bayole, also expressed concern over the conduct of some district employees, saying absenteeism and poor attendance were affecting the implementation and monitoring of government programmes, especially Parish Development Model (PDM) disbursements and Enyooga.
Bayole noted that officers responsible for monitoring government projects and delivering services to communities should remain at their duty stations and execute their responsibilities diligently. “Service delivery and monitoring of government programmes should be done by specific personnel because they are paid to do that work. I do not understand why some of them do not want to work,” Bayole said.
He explained that government investments in public service can only yield results when officers are present and actively carrying out their duties. “The government has invested significant resources in public service, but those efforts are undermined when officers fail to report to work on time. Residents deserve efficient services, and public servants must fulfill their obligations,” Bayole added.
The criticism was echoed by Mark Cherop Cherirei, the Project Coordinator of Kapchorwa Civil Society Alliance (KACSOA), who attributed the problem to weak supervision and inadequate enforcement of public service regulations. Cherirei argued that some public officers have become complacent because supervisors are not consistently monitoring attendance and performance.
“Poor supervision is one of the major reasons why some civil servants report late or abandon their duty stations. Supervisors must ensure that officers are present at work and delivering services to the people. When there is no accountability, service delivery suffers,” Cherirei said. He called for stronger oversight mechanisms and regular performance assessments to improve accountability in the district.
“District leaders and heads of departments should institute regular monitoring and performance reviews. Without strong oversight, absenteeism becomes normalized, and the public ultimately pays the price through poor service delivery,” he added. Genevieve Iribagiza, the Senior Ethics Officer in the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, said that integrity and professionalism must guide the conduct of all public servants if government programmes are to achieve their intended objectives.
“The core values of transparency, accountability, and honesty are the foundation of effective public service. When public officers uphold these values, citizens receive better services, and confidence in government institutions is strengthened,” Iribagiza said. She urged civil servants to embrace ethical leadership and integrity in the execution of their duties, noting that public office is a position of trust that requires commitment, responsibility, and respect for the public.
The concerns raised in Kapchorwa resonate with President Yoweri Museveni’s ongoing “No Sleep” campaign against corruption and poor service delivery. The President has repeatedly urged government officials, supervisors, and anti-corruption agencies not to “sleep on the job” when dealing with corruption, absenteeism, and negligence in public offices.
Museveni has argued that corruption is not limited to the theft of public funds but also includes failure by public servants to perform duties for which they are paid. According to the President, absenteeism, late reporting to work, and neglect of official responsibilities amount to a form of corruption because they deny citizens access to services financed through taxpayers’ money.
Governance experts say persistent absenteeism and weak supervision at the local government level undermine the spirit of the President’s “No Sleep” campaign, which seeks to promote accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public service.
Across Uganda, absenteeism and late reporting by public officers have long been identified as major obstacles to effective service delivery. The practice often results in delays in processing official documents, supervising government projects, implementing development programmes, and providing essential services such as healthcare, education, agricultural extension, and community development.
Experts note that when public servants fail to report to work on time or abandon their duty stations, citizens are often forced to make repeated visits to government offices, increasing both the cost and time required to access public services. The situation also creates opportunities for corruption, as some members of the public may feel compelled to offer bribes to receive services that should ordinarily be delivered promptly.
In districts such as Kapchorwa, where local governments are responsible for implementing government programmes and monitoring public investments, absenteeism among technical staff can affect project oversight, accountability, and the overall quality of services delivered to communities.
District leaders warned that continued absenteeism and failure to observe official working hours could attract disciplinary action as authorities seek to improve accountability and efficiency in public service delivery. They called on all civil servants to uphold professionalism, respect public service regulations, and remain committed to serving the public in line with government expectations-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
