Deputy Inspector General of Government Dr Patricia Achan Okiria has warned public servants against treating accountability as optional, saying it is both a constitutional and ethical obligation that must guide every decision involving public authority and resources.
Okiria said public officials must make accountability a guiding principle in the execution of their duties if government is to maintain public trust and deliver effective, citizen-centred services. “The question each of us should continually ask is: if the citizens whose resources I am managing were standing beside me, would I be comfortable explaining this decision, this expenditure, this appointment, this procurement process or this use of public property to them?” Okiria said.
“That is the spirit of public accountability.” Okiria was delivering a keynote address on “Transparency and Integrity” to Ministry of Public Service officials during their Annual Staff Baraza held at the National Records and Archives Centre in Kampala. She said accountability in public service revolves around three key areas — the decisions officials make, the authority they exercise, and how they use public resources.
“Citizens experience Government primarily through the services they receive, not merely through policy documents or speeches,” Okiria said. “They experience Government when medicines are available at health centres, when skilled personnel are present, when children receive quality education, when roads are maintained, when applications are processed efficiently, and when public officials treat them with dignity and fairness.”
Okiria said every interaction between public officials and citizens should strengthen confidence in government rather than undermine it. She warned public servants against diverting government resources for personal benefit or using them for purposes other than those authorised. “Public resources must be used strictly for their intended purposes. They must never be diverted for personal benefit or for any other unauthorised purpose,” she said.
“Government funds should be spent only for authorised purposes, properly supported by documentation, accurately recorded and transparently accounted for,” Okiria said. Uganda’s development frameworks recognise good governance, accountability and the control of corruption as critical drivers of socio-economic transformation. “The reflections from this engagement should therefore go beyond this Baraza. They should inform how each of us exercises authority, manages public resources, interacts with citizens and delivers results,” she said.
Her remarks come as government anti-corruption agencies, including the Inspectorate of Government, continue efforts to safeguard public resources and improve service delivery. The Deputy IGG’s message also served as a reminder to public officials that failure to account for public resources and authority can attract legal consequences. Meanwhile, the Minister for Public Service, Rtd Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, urged ministry staff to strengthen teamwork, saying effective service delivery depends on cooperation among employees.
“Success comes when all of us work together. So when we deliver results, we win as one team,” Katumba said. He also urged staff to maintain professionalism and respect colleagues regardless of their positions. “We must also remain professional at all times, and also respect each other no matter one’s rank,” he said. The Annual Staff Baraza was also attended by the state minister for Public Service, Lydia Wanyoto Mutende; former Minister for Public Service, Muruli Mukasa; and State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, Grace Mugasa, who previously served as State Minister for Public Service-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
