Gov’t probes claims of purging in districts

KIGALI - A probe team composed of officials from ministries of Local Government and Public Service and Labor are investigating claims by districts employees that the recent Civil Service evaluation exercise was marred by lack of transparency. A source from the Ministry of Local Government told The New Times on Wednesday that investigations conducted so far reveal some claims are credible. The employees allege that members of the evaluation panel used the exercise to eliminate employees thought be unfriendly. The evaluation started in July this year. “These claims must be investigated thoroughly because some people used the exercise to settle personal scores,” a source from Bugesera, who declined to be named, said last week. Districts where the evaluation exercises were allegedly conducted unfairly include Rulindo, Bugesera, Ngororero and Rubavu. The exercise is aimed at assessing employees’ competence and those who don’t measure up will be dropped. When contacted, the Executive Secretary of Public Service Commission, Angelina Muganza, described the claims as highly regrettable. In a telephone interview last week, Muganza assured affected employees that all the allegations would be taken care of by the relevant ministries. “We have heard about, it but the matter is being addressed. If the ministries fail to handle the issue, that is when we shall intervene,” Muganza explained. The Minister of Local Government, Christopher Bazivamu said that claims by district employees that evaluation exercise was not based on merit featured days after the exercise was completed. Following the allegations, the two ministries set up an independent probe team to get to the root of the matter.“When the team came back, it revealed that indeed in some districts, the exercise was not done fairly,” Bazivamu said. Asked whether the evaluation exercise in the districts where it was flawed would be conducted again, Bazivamu said “the process was not entirely bad.” “Yes, some mistakes had been committed. We have directed that the vacancies that had not been filled to be put on hold,” Bazivamo explained. He, however, said people already recruited must continue working until all the claims have been verified. Anastase Murekezi, the Minister of Public Service and Labour who is heading the steering committee, could not be reached for a comment by press time. The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Marceline Mukamuragwa, claimed ignorance when contacted by The New Times. Ends

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Gov’t probes claims of purging in districts