Parliament has launched a four-day staff verification exercise led by the Public Service Commission to scrutinise employees’ academic qualifications, recruitment records and suitability for their positions amid calls for greater accountability.
Parliament has begun a four-day staff verification and validation exercise aimed at establishing the authenticity of employees’ academic qualifications, recruitment records and suitability for the positions they occupy.
The exercise started on Monday, October 19, 2026, following a directive announced by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth last week. Employees who fail to comply risk disciplinary action, according to parliamentary commissioners.
The Speaker officially launched the exercise during a closed-door meeting with parliamentary staff at Parliament’s Conference Hall. He was accompanied by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa and Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi.
Susan Jolly Abeja, chairperson of the Parliamentary Commission’s Sub-Committee on Human Resource, and Commissioner John Baptist Nambeshe said the exercise would run until Thursday, October 22, with all employees required to appear according to the programme issued to their respective departments.
“The exercise started today, Monday, and will end on Thursday. All employees are expected to comply without fail. This is a Commission directive,” Abeja said.
Nambeshe said the commission had communicated the schedule to the different departments and expected every employee to participate.
“We have given a clear programme. Every department knows when they are supposed to appear. We expect 100% compliance,” he said.
Abeja said the validation exercise was intended to strengthen accountability and restore confidence in the Parliamentary Service amid growing calls for transparency in public institutions.
“This validation exercise has been done in good faith. We want to bring back sanity in Parliament. There have been growing calls for transparency and accountability in the Parliamentary Service and we cannot ignore that,” she said.
The commissioners dismissed suggestions that the exercise was intended to target particular employees, saying the process was meant to reinforce professionalism and integrity.
“This is not a witch-hunt. The process is intended to strengthen professionalism and integrity in the institution of Parliament. If your papers are genuine and your recruitment was proper, you have nothing to fear,” Nambeshe said.
Abeja said the Parliamentary Commission had invited the Public Service Commission to oversee the exercise to ensure independence and minimise the possibility of internal interference.
“We resolved to invite the Public Service Commission because we wanted an independent body that will execute this mandate without fear or favour. We did not want any internal interference,” she said.
The exercise is expected to examine employees’ academic documents, recruitment procedures and whether their qualifications and appointments meet the requirements of their respective positions.
The verification comes amid heightened scrutiny of recruitment and accountability within public institutions. However, the exercise itself does not establish that any parliamentary employee is a ghost worker or was irregularly recruited; those findings would depend on the evidence gathered during the process.
Four-Day Validation Schedule
The exercise is organised according to departments and offices, as follows:
- Monday, October 19: Office of the Speaker, Office of the Deputy Speaker, Office of the Clerk to Parliament, Office of the Leader of Government Business, Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Commission Secretariat, Department of Communication and Public Affairs, and Department of Corporate Planning and Strategy.
- Tuesday, October 20: Department of Finance, Department of Administration, Department of Transport and Logistics, and Department of Human Resource.
- Wednesday, October 21: Department of Information and Communication Technology, Department of Library Services, Department of Legislative Services, Department of Legal and Compliance, Department of Hansard, and Department of Research Services.
- Thursday, October 22: Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Parliamentary Clerks, and Parliamentary Budget Office.
The findings of the exercise are expected to help the Parliamentary Commission establish whether staff records are in order and determine what action, if any, is required where discrepancies are identified.