Soroti District Secures Shs1.5b Wage Bill to Tackle Staff Shortages

Soroti District Local Government has successfully secured Shs1.5 billion in wage bill clearance to recruit essential personnel and fill long-standing staffing gaps. The funding approval aims to strengthen administrative structures and improve overall service delivery across the district.

Speaking to government school headteachers at the Lukiko Hall, Soroti Chief Administrative Officer Emmanuel Sempala announced that the Ministry of Public Service greenlit the wage bill. The recruitment drive will primarily focus on replacing retired civil servants and appointing substantive heads of department.

According to Mr Sempala, operating with acting officials has hindered accountability and slowed down government program implementation. Officers currently serving in acting capacities will be considered for substantive roles provided they hold the necessary academic qualifications. District LCV Chairperson Bob Owiny welcomed the development, noting that vacant offices have previously compromised effective service delivery.

Despite the upcoming recruitment, the district education sector continues to face hurdles. Acting District Education Officer John Michael Okiror stated that while the district intends to hire five headteachers and 20 teachers, Soroti still struggles with a deficit of approximately 200 teachers. Officials hope the new recruitment will alleviate pressure on existing educators.

Beyond staffing, CAO Sempala urged headteachers to embrace agricultural projects to foster self-reliance in schools. He also addressed the district’s poor ranking in the previous Local Government Performance Assessment, which resulted in a loss of over Shs500 million in development funding, challenging educators to improve academic standards and institutional management.

Read more about this development in the Daily Monitor.