President Yoweri Museveni has dropped controversial chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission Sylvia Ntambi.
The president has instead appointed Ms Safia Jjuko Nalule, the outgoing Member of parliament representing people with disability to replace her as the chairperson.
The president further appointed Joel Cox Ojok as vice chairperson, Ms Denise Tumusiime, Zaidi Ibrahim Edema and Sr. Mary Wasagali as members.
“In Exercise of the powers vested in the President by Article 32 (3) of the 1995 Constitution and section 5(1) and (2), I have appointed persons listed below as chairperson, vice chairperson and members of the Equal Opportunities Commission respectively” reads the president’s letter to the Speaker dated March 23, 2021 which Eagle Online has seen
last month, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Aggrey Kibenge ordered the chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission and other senior staff to handover office immediately as their contract had expired.
In a letter dated February 19, to the Under Secretary Finance and Administration, Equal Opportunities Commission, he directs that since their contract expired and are still waiting for president’s action on the tenure of the commission on whether to extend its mandate or appoint a new one, it was prudent that the affected individuals handover over office.
The EOC boss who renounced and abandoned the use of the name Sylvia Ntambi as it appears on her national identification card and in the lieu assumed the name Sylvia Nabatanzi Muwebwa. Previously EOC boss was using Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi but now she dropped Ntambi and replace it with Nabatanzi hence adoption of Sylvia Nabantazi Muwebwa
Their contracts expired in January 2021 and the President Yoweri Museveni has not communicated his decision on whether or not he will renew some of them.
PS Kibenge in his letter said the commissioners were supposed to hand over office on February 5 but this ceremony was postponed.
However, in a February 19 letter to the Under Secretary in the Ministry directed that officials, with the exception of Mr Joel Cox Ojuko should hand over handover immediately. Mr Ojuko had complained that his contract runs out in July 2021 and not January 2021 as the other officers. The PS said Mr Ojuko can meanwhile remain in office as they look into his matter.
Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi and nine others were charged for abuse of office following a complaints to President Yoweri Museveni calling for his intervention. According to a petition dated May 22, 2019, the whistleblower accused her of causing financial loss of over Shs 200 million through termination of workers contracts and forcing workers to resign and replace them with her relatives and friends.
Since she took over the chairperson-ship of the commission, the whistleblower said Mrs Ntambi has unfairly dismissed over 11 staff, terminated over 10 staff contracts, and four contracts have not been renewed. In 2017/ 2018, the Auditor General advised the commission to employ people on permanent contracts however the chairperson declined and this has since led to financial losses. However, the Director of Public Prosecution recently dropped all the charges brought against her.
