98 workers at the Kabale District headquarters on Makanga hill were on Thursday shocked when the Kabale CAO Abert Matsiko Mutungwire blocked them from accessing their offices for reporting late for work.
The workers who came before 8am found CAO himself manning the main gate. Those that came after 8:15; 98 of them, the CAO sent back home, saying that late coming contravenes public service regulations.
Some of those sent home included Rogers Akatwijuka the Natural Resource Officer, Julius Mujuni the Chief Finance Officer, James Tuturyeimuka the vector control officer, Ketty Kasisi the inspector of schools, Principle Internal Auditor Lawrence Bitwiromunda, Vastine Beyendera the Principle inspector of schools, senior lands management officer Rogers Ngabirano.
Mutungwire says that he arrived at the district headquarters and found a few workers had reported by 8am. He says he decided to give them another 15 minutes before he took action.
Mutungwire says that out of about 128 headquarter staff members, only thirty were in office by 8am.
The CAO says all the late comers must apologize to the District Service Commission in writing.
Patrick Besigye Keihwa the Kabale District Chairperson says that habitual late coming of civil servants has been affecting the smooth running of service delivery in the District.
Keihwa says that the District is also in a move to start motivating civil servants that respect time by giving them prizes and an opportunity to attend some courses.
In July and August last year, Mutungwire conducted the same operation and turned away over fifty workers.
According to the public service code of conduct, civil servants are required to report to office every day at exactly 8am and retire at 5pm with a break between 12:45 and 2pm.