The Uganda National Roads Authority has laid off its entire staff, Allen Kagina, the Executive Director, has announced.
According to Ms Kagina the decision to lay off over 890 workers was arrived at after a comprehensive review of the performance of the Authority since its establishment in 2008.
She said that the Board of Directors, in bid to make UNRA a fit-for-purpose-Authority, embarked on a comprehensive restructuring process which also includes disbanding the entire staff.
Further, that a notice of collective termination of all incumbent staff excluding the Executive Director has been issued and a new staff establishment, salary structure, and human resources policies framework has been commissioned.
According to Ms Kagina, the Board has embarked on a recruitment drive to fill the positions in the new structure giving priority to interested qualified outgoing staff. Under the same structure, a new and improved system has been introduced which will see a staff recruitment of about 1736 workers.
“UNRA has had a number of challenges one being inadequate staffing; this system will therefore help us solve this issue,’’ Kagina said, adding that incompetence, corruption and abuse of office are some of the reasons for the massive lay-off.
“The organization has suffered corruption, mismanagement of office among other vices we look to terminate,” she said
All those laid off will be required to reapply during a three month transition period, Ms Kagina said, adding however, that all projects that were already initiated will go on during this period.
“The recruitment will take place gradually as work continues,” Ms Kagina said.
In a related development, a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire is currently carrying out a probe into various scandals in UNRA, most of which are corruption-related.
