ARUA DISTRICT AUTHORITIES TO WITHHOLD STAFF SALARIES OVER REGISTRATION OF ATTENDANCE

Arua district sign post (Photo by Morish Dramadri)

By Martin Anguyo

Arua City

Arua District local government employees who fail to sign the official attendance register upon reporting for duty risk having their salaries withheld effective this month, following a joint directive by the district leadership and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) aimed at strengthening staff accountability and improving service delivery.

The measure, spearheaded by the District LC5 Chairman, Hon. Cosmas Ayikobua, together with the Office of the CAO, is intended to address persistent concerns over staff absenteeism, late reporting for duty and failure by some government employees to fulfil their official responsibilities.

Under the new arrangement, staff members are expected to ensure that they sign the attendance register as evidence of their presence at their respective workstations.

Those who fail to comply with the requirement risk facing salary-related consequences as the district moves to tighten supervision and enforce discipline among its workforce.

Hon. Cosmos Ayikobua says the decision is intended to ensure that public servants take their responsibilities seriously and remain accountable for the time they spend on government duty.

Ayikobua emphasizes that government employees are paid using public resources and must therefore demonstrate commitment by reporting to work and attending to the needs of the communities they are employed to serve.

He says the district cannot continue to tolerate practices that undermine public service delivery, noting that regular attendance is a fundamental requirement for effective performance in government institutions.

He further calls on heads of departments and supervisors to take responsibility for monitoring staff attendance and ensuring that employees comply with the established administrative procedures.

“Eighteen days you have not worked, you are not going to be paid salaries. Very seriously, go to sub counties you find a staff only signs attendance book just one day in a whole month. Why are you paid for? You are not there in your duty stations. If you have not been signing attendance book, don’t blame me” Ayikobua said.

Equally, Diana Ayikoru, the Arua District Communications Officer in the Office of the CAO, says the initiative is expected to improve staff punctuality, attendance and overall performance across the district.

“The attendance monitoring arrangement is part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability within the local government workforce. Employees must understand the importance of being physically present at their duty stations to serve the public effectively” she explained.

The move comes amid wider concerns about absenteeism and poor accountability in Uganda’s public sector, where the absence of government employees from their duty stations has continued to affect access to essential services, particularly in health and education facilities.

Studies have previously estimated health worker absenteeism in Uganda at between 37 and 48 per cent, highlighting the extent to which staff attendance remains a challenge in the delivery of public services.

The district’s latest directive therefore places renewed emphasis on the responsibility of public servants to account for their working hours, while reinforcing the role of administrative supervision in ensuring that government resources translate into tangible services for the population.

As the new measure takes effect, its implementation and consistency across departments will be critical in determining whether stricter attendance monitoring can translate into improved staff discipline, accountability and service delivery in Arua District.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis