A scathing human resource audit by the Inspectorate of Government (IG) has exposed a deeply entrenched system of secret hiring, unmerited promotions, and structural redundancies within the Parliament of Uganda.
The investigation, spanning recruitment practices from October 2021 to June 2026, reveals how the Parliamentary Commission systematically locked out qualified Ugandans to favor handpicked candidates.
According to the report submitted to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni by the Inspector General of Government, Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, the rot began on September 16, 2021. On this date, the Parliamentary Commission passed a resolution to fill vacancies exclusively through “headhunting” or by pulling names from lists of former interns—a direct violation of the institution’s own Human Resource Policy Manual.
The IGG’s report highlights that bypassing open advertisements directly disenfranchised the public, choking Parliament’s access to a broader pool of highly qualified national talent. Justice Naluzze Batala noted that the extensive audit was triggered by a flood of public complaints regarding corruption and favoritism within the House’s recruitment pipelines.
The operational recommendations have been directed to the Clerk to Parliament, with the Inspectorate demanding a total rationalization of the institution’s structure so it can return to its core mandate: lawmaking, representation, oversight, and appropriation.
In a human resource audit report submitted to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Inspector General of Government, Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, said the Parliamentary Commission resolved on September 16, 2021, to recruit staff through headhunting or by using lists of former interns, contrary to the Commission’s Human Resource Policy Manual.
The decision resulted in vacancies not being advertised, denying eligible Ugandans an opportunity to compete for the positions and limiting Parliament’s access to a wider pool of qualified candidates, according to the report.
The report also found that some employees did not possess the minimum academic qualifications required for the positions they occupied.
The Inspectorate has consequently recommended that the Parliamentary Commission review the personal files of all employees to establish whether they meet the academic and professional requirements for their respective jobs.
The audit further raised concerns about the absence of clear promotion guidelines in Parliament’s Human Resource Policy Manual, noting that some recently recruited employees had been promoted at the expense of staff who had served for longer periods.
The Inspectorate wants the Commission to prioritise the development of a clear staff promotion policy to guide career progression and ensure that promotions are handled fairly.
In another finding, the audit questioned the relevance of four director positions under the Office of the Clerk to Parliament, saying the positions were redundant and lacked clearly defined schedules of duties.
The Inspectorate recommended a review of the four positions, with a view to abolishing them from the established structure if they are found unnecessary. It argued that the salaries and benefits attached to the positions could instead be redirected to more critical parliamentary functions.
The report also identified a potential conflict of interest in the Finance Department, which oversees three functions: finance, procurement and inventory management.
According to the Inspectorate, placing the three functions under the supervision of the Director of Finance creates a risk because they are all answerable to the same official.
The audit further found that Parliament’s existing job descriptions and person specifications were generally outdated and did not meet current public service standards.
The Inspectorate recommended aligning job descriptions and person specifications for common staff positions with those used in the public service.
It also called for a rationalisation of Parliament’s staff and institutional structures to ensure they respond to the legislature’s core responsibilities of lawmaking, representation, oversight and appropriation.
The recommendations were directed to the Clerk to Parliament, with the Inspectorate urging the Parliamentary Commission to ensure that future recruitment is conducted through competitive processes that give all Ugandans equal employment opportunities.
The findings come amid concerns about fairness and transparency in public sector recruitment, where open competition is intended to ensure that appointments are based on merit and that qualified applicants have an equal opportunity to access public employment.
In submitting the report to President Museveni, Justice Naluzze Batala said the audit had been commissioned following numerous complaints regarding recruitment at Parliament
