KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ugandan government is moving ahead with its rationalisation strategy to streamline public sector operations, outlining plans to absorb staff from agencies that have been merged into various ministries. As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Public Service, led by Minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa, has reassured affected employees that they will either be reallocated to other departments or compensated if they cannot be absorbed into new roles.
Minister Muruli explained that the government is working to fill significant staffing gaps across public institutions, particularly in under-staffed sectors like healthcare and education, where positions remain vacant due to previous recruitment freezes. According to the Ministry of Public Service, there are over 295,000 unfilled government positions, with hospitals and public universities experiencing the highest staffing shortages.
The ongoing rationalisation process has already seen the closure of 21 agencies, affecting 219 employees. For those not absorbed into new roles, the government has allocated Shs 29.1 billion to compensate the first wave of displaced workers. This restructuring is part of broader efforts to eliminate inefficiencies in government operations and reallocate resources more effectively.
While the initial phase of rationalisation is underway, the second phase, expected in December, will likely lead to more job cuts, further reshaping Uganda’s public service. However, Minister Muruli remains confident that the restructuring will not disadvantage workers but will instead help meet critical gaps in public sector staffing.
