Mitooma— Tension is high in Mitooma District today after Hon. Balaam directed security organs to immediately arrest the Chairman of the District Service Commission and the Acting District Medical Officer over allegations that they solicited 19 million shillings from a job seeker.

The directive follows a complaint by Mr. Kato Julius, who says he was asked to pay the money in exchange for a position of Clinical Officer in Mitooma District Local Government. According to Mr. Kato, the money was demanded by Mr. Karakuuza Sam, the Chairman of the Mitooma District Service Commission, with the involvement of Dr. Oloya Patrick, who currently acts as the Medical Officer at Mitooma District Hospital. Mr. Kato alleges that he made the payment but was never given the job and has since been ignored by the officials.

Upon receiving the petition, Hon. Balaam said he was disgusted by what he described as the auctioning of public jobs. He instructed police and other security agencies to move swiftly to arrest both Mr. Karakuuza and Dr. Oloya to aid investigations and preserve evidence. The minister argued that qualified young people in Mitooma and across the country deserve employment based on merit and not on who can pay the most. He warned that government will not tolerate public offices being turned into marketplaces.

The District Service Commission is the body mandated to recruit public servants in local governments, while the District Medical Officer heads health services at the district level. The allegations have therefore sparked concern among health workers and residents who say many qualified applicants have been locked out of jobs by similar practices.

Hon. Balaam has vowed to see the case through to its conclusion and has called on other citizens who may have been victims of job-selling to come forward. He said the government is committed to cleaning the recruitment system and ensuring accountability in public service.