Contract extension storm hits government

When Eng. John Mary Vianne Twinomujuni turned 60 on July 13, 2025, colleagues in the ministry of Water and Environment expected him to retire.

Instead, his name is now at the center of a storm that has thrown Uganda’s civil service into one of its fiercest integrity battles in years. The controversy stems from a decision to extend Twinomujuni’s tenure as commissioner for Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Services for three years, despite his hitting the mandatory retirement age.

The arrangement, allegedly sanctioned by Head of Public Service Lucy Nakyobe, has triggered lawsuits, outrage among ministry staff, and accusations that the government is bending its own rules to protect political allies.

A LEGAL FIGHT BREWS

On August 29, activist Atuhire B., through Tibaijuka & Co. Advocates, filed a petition in the High Court (Misc. Cause No. HCT-00-CV-MC-0217). The suit names Twinomujuni, Nakyobe, Permanent Secretary Alfred Okidi, and the attorney general as respondents.

The petition argues that bypassing a competitive recruitment process violates Article 43(1) of Uganda’s Constitution, which guards against actions prejudicial to public interest.

“This is a deliberate manipulation of public service rules,” the suit states, demanding that the post be advertised and that all qualified officers be given a fair chance.

WHAT RULES SAY

Uganda’s Public Service Act of 2008 and the Standing Orders of 2010 are clear: the Public Service Commission (PSC) is the sole authority to appoint, promote, or extend contracts of public officers.

Senior posts such as commissioner must be filled competitively. But Nakyobe’s July 11 letter reportedly instructed that Twinomujuni be retained as an “administrative stopgap.”

Legal experts say this exceeds her authority. Her office is advisory, not executive, and only the PSC, backed by Cabinet approval, can make such decisions. Even a presidential recommendation, they add, cannot override the PSC’s powers under Section 14(2) of the Act, which allows extensions only on exceptional grounds such as rare technical expertise.

A POOL OF OVERLOOKED TALENT

Inside the ministry of Water, resentment is palpable. At least 11 assistant commissioners, each with more than 20 years of experience and advanced degrees, remain in line for promotion.

Among them are respected engineers: Dr Felix Twinomucunguzi, Richard Matua, Herbert Nuwamanya, Ronald Kasozi, and Dr Frank Tumwine. Yet, they have been sidelined in favor of a man colleagues allege was absent “over 80 per cent of the time” in his final year, spending much of it campaigning for his wife’s parliamentary bid in Mbarara district.

“This is not about one man,” said one senior ministry official, requesting anonymity. “It’s about whether rules still matter. If they can ignore qualified officers and extend a retiree, what does that say about the system?”

NAKYOBE’S CONTRADICTORY SIGNALS

The controversy has also exposed contradictions at the top. On September 2, at a meeting of permanent secretaries, Nakyobe insisted that retired officers should step aside and their understudies be promoted.

Just days earlier, at the 5th Administrative Officers’ Forum, she repeated: “If a senior person has retired, their understudy should occupy the position.”

Yet her earlier authorization of Twinomujuni’s extension, allegedly citing a presidential recommendation, runs counter to that message. For reformers hoping to clean up public service hiring, the inconsistency is jarring.

WHY THIS CASE MATTERS

The petitioners want the court to block Twinomujuni’s reappointment, order a competitive recruitment process, and award legal costs. The hearing is scheduled for September 29. But observers say the stakes go far beyond one commissioner.

Uganda has struggled for decades with perceptions of patronage and favoritism in public service. Nakyobe herself has led efforts to professionalize the system, limiting contract extensions and encouraging promotion of understudies.

Critics warn that if this case stands, it risks unraveling that progress.

“This case tests whether public service rules apply equally or are just rhetoric,” one governance analyst told The Observer.

The High court’s ruling will decide Twinomujuni’s fate. But more importantly, it will signal whether Uganda’s civil service can remain anchored in law and merit—or whether, once again, politics and connections will trump the rules.