Source: APO
The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has questioned delays in the confirmation of teachers, staffing gaps and the failure to fully constitute the Education Service Commission.
The concerns were raised on Tuesday, 01 September 2026 during an interface with the Education Service Commission and the Ministry of Education and Sports over queries contained in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended 31 December 2025.
COSASE Chairperson, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi said the committee’s examination of the teacher recruitment processes revealed gaps between appointments and confirmations.
“As we interrogated the process of appointment and confirmation of teachers, we realised that the chronology has the participation of the Education Service Commission but midway, the participation of the Ministry of Education,” Nkunyingi said.
He said of the 16,200 teachers targeted for recruitment during the period under review, 13,611 had been confirmed leaving a gap of more than 3,626 appointed teachers who had not been confirmed.
Nkunyingi said the committee is concerned that the bureaucracy involved in moving confirmation applications between schools, the ministry and the Education Service Commission is frustrating teachers and creating opportunities for fraudsters.
He said teachers recruited on probation are evaluated after six months but the process of confirmation involves several stages before reaching the Education Service Commission.
The committee also questioned the incomplete composition of the Education Service Commission.
Nkunyingi cited Article 167 of the Constitution which provides for a chairperson and six other members appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament.
He asked the Education Service Commission Chairperson, Samuel Abimelech Luboga why he had appeared without other members .
Luboga said that some commissioners were away conducting recruitment interviews in Mbarara and Mbale.
He said the Deputy Chairperson is in Mbarara with two other commissioners.
The committee established one deputy chairperson and one member have not been appointed.
Nkunyingi asked the State Minister for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang to explain the failure to fill the vacancies.
“Prepare to tell us why is there no appointment for members of the Commission? Because a fully constituted Commission would serve better the teachers and education sector,” he said.
Ogwang acknowledged the concerns raised by the committee particularly on staffing gaps, delayed confirmations and promotions.
According to Ogwang, the education sector has 188,118 staff against an establishment requirement of 291,571 translating into a 65 per cent fill rate and a 35 per cent vacancy rate.
Ogwang attributed the staffing shortages largely to recruitment restrictions and limited wage provisions.
“The above understaffing in the sector is explained by the restrictions that were imposed on recruitment and largely by the limited wage provisions,” he said.
He explained that recruitment across government was halted from financial year 2022/23 to allow a headcount following payroll irregularities exposed during a July 2022 audit.
He said the ministry requested for Shs69 billion between 2023 and 2025 to recruit critical staff required for implementation of the competency based curriculum, but the funding was not provided.
On teacher confirmation, Ogwang said teachers initiate the process after six months on probation following appraisal by head teachers and district education officers.
However, the Permanent Secretary, Kedrace Turyagenda rejected suggestions that the ministry delays confirmation applications.
“Once it is done, the delay is basically at the school level, but as soon as it comes to us we act expeditiously,” Turyagenda said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.