Navigating the Quagmire: A Reflection on Systemic Challenges within KCCA’s Human Resource Practices

Grace Akulo, KCCA’s Director of Administration and Human Resource Management, Under Fire Over Allegations of Illegal Recruitment Practices
In the convoluted and labyrinthine corridors of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), a hydra-headed monster of systemic decay has insidiously entrenched itself, perpetuating an omnipresent culture of corruption, cronyism, and bureaucratic ineptitude.
What was once intended to be a bastion of meritocracy, the Human Resource Directorate has transmogrified into a marionette master, deftly pulling the strings to orchestrate a grotesque theatre of favoritism that caters to a privileged few while the institution itself teeters on the precipice of dysfunction.
This Directorate, rather than acting as a steward of integrity and accountability, has instead fashioned itself into the epicenter of malfeasance. Recent revelations have unearthed clandestine attempts to execute staff promotions in blatant contravention of stipulated procedures and guidelines, an endeavor undertaken with the misplaced hope that the sands of time would erode public interest in this aberrant travesty.
The Directorate, unmoved by these disclosures, has neither deigned to confirm nor refute the allegations, preferring to wallow in the morass of indifference. Such nonchalance is emblematic of an ingrained practice of permitting wrongdoing to flourish unchecked, driven by pecuniary interests and an unspoken creed that this is “not their father’s organization.”
Earlier this year, another sordid episode unfolded when the position of Director of Physical Planning was nearly conferred upon an unqualified candidate. This potential debacle, meticulously orchestrated under the auspices of the Human Resource Directorate in concert with the Public Service Commission, was averted only through the vigilance and patriotic fervor of a handful of concerned Ugandans.
This near miss is merely a microcosm of a larger, more insidious phenomenon—a systemic syndicate of corruption wherein the Human Resource Directorate and the Public Service Commission operate not as checks and balances but as co-conspirators in a symphony of administrative decay.
In a further testament to the pervasive rot, recent promotional interviews for physical planners embroiled in pending disciplinary proceedings were conducted under a shroud of secrecy. The outcome? These very individuals, their transgressions carefully obfuscated, were inexplicably elevated to higher positions. The vital information regarding their disciplinary status was surreptitiously withheld from the commission, and the Public Service Commission, as if performing a rehearsed act in this charade, duly played along. This grotesque choreography reveals a well-coordinated scheme, where, instead of safeguarding institutional integrity, the very custodians of due process engage in mutual subterfuge to perpetuate a corrupt status quo.
All this chicanery is perpetrated for what, one might ask? The answer lies in the unholy trinity of money, favors, and nepotism. The organization has morphed into a haven for fortune hunters, individuals who owe their ascent not to merit or capability but to their proximity to power, their ability to pay, or their affiliations with those who wield influence. In such a debased environment, performance evaluations and targets are rendered mere formalities—meaningless rituals in a hollow temple of governance. Those entrusted with enforcing standards—the Human Resource officers—are themselves the architects of decay, manipulating the system to shield underperformers and malign any attempts at reform, all for a few shillings slipped under the table. Thus, corruption becomes the unseen lubricant that keeps the rusted gears of this dead system turning.
One particularly egregious example of this systemic malaise is the controversy surrounding KCCA’s law enforcement officers. Despite a litany of complaints from ministers, members of parliament, and the general public regarding corruption and extortion by these officers, the Human Resource Directorate, alongside the Directorate of Legal Affairs, has remained steadfast in its refusal to act.
Management’s efforts to purge these bad elements were stymied by an inability to counter the “impeccable” performance appraisals generated by the Human Resource Directorate. When covert background checks were proposed, utilizing the Internal Security Organization (ISO) to gather evidence from communities affected by these law enforcers, the plans were sabotaged from within.
A draft letter to ISO, intended to be confidential, was instead “accidentally” leaked by HR to the very staff under scrutiny, compromising the entire investigative process. This so-called mistake was no mere accident; it was a calculated move to protect the HR Directorate’s vested interests—interests deeply entwined with the corrupt officers who serve as the conduit for ill-gotten gains.
The vicious cycle of dysfunction extends even further. Consider the case of a security manager on the brink of retirement, who, rather than fulfilling his duties, spends his days politicking in his home district or collecting “rent” from his law enforcers. This individual remains ensconced in his position not due to competence or performance but because he is shielded by an inept human resource system that sets no meaningful targets and monitors no one. The absence of an effective clock-in system or a robust appraisal framework allows such individuals to linger like dead wood, burdens on an organization already groaning under the weight of inefficiency.
The tentacles of this systemic rot stretch across the organization, suffocating any semblance of accountability. Lawyers occupying critical positions lack practicing certificates, or worse, have never set foot in a courtroom. Their expertise lies not in legal advocacy but in orchestrating out-of-court settlements for personal gain. Physical planners, unregistered and unaccountable, roam the city’s streets, preying on illegal and legal developers for bribes. Engineers, ill-equipped to review technical submissions, focus instead on extracting commissions from service providers.
Were psychometric or aptitude tests mandated for all staff, a staggering 90% would likely be found unfit, revealing a grotesque parody of a functional institution.
The recent exposure of the clandestine promotion of Anita Kusima serves as a glaring beacon, illuminating one of the many concealed symptoms of KCCA’s human resource dysfunction. Yet, this is merely the visible tip of a vast iceberg, under which countless more egregious cases remain hidden. The disease, however, is not confined to KCCA. It is a contagion that permeates the entire edifice of government, where those charged with reforming KCCA are themselves afflicted by the same malady.
They, too, would miserably fail the most basic tests of competence and integrity.Until this multi-headed monstrosity of corruption and incompetence is dealt a decisive death blow, KCCA will continue to hemorrhage performance and credibility, plunging the city it is meant to serve deeper into the abyss of administrative chaos.
The question remains, if such government – wide systemic failures are left unchecked, where indeed is this country headed?

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Navigating the Quagmire: A Reflection on Systemic Challenges within KCCA’s Human Resource Practices