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Public servants warned on changing birth dates
Deputy Chief Steven Kavuma has been reported to have attempted to change his age
The Ministry of Public Service has issued a stern warning to all civil servants not to dare alter their birth dates, because any attempt to do contravenes Uganda Public Service Standing Orders and that their dates of birth shall be those which were initially recorded unless unquestionable evidence to the contrary is produced and accepted by the responsible permanent secretary.
The permanent secretary of ministry of public service Catherine Bitarakwata Musingwiire issued the MEMO to all Permanent Secretaries and other Accounting Officers reading in part that it has received numerous requests from civil servants to request birth dates.
Musingwiire observed that whereas some of the requests for changes in people’s birth dates arose from the desire to synchronize data in the Integrated Personal and Payroll National Payroll System with the National Identification Register, other requests proved suspicious especially if the applicant was nearing his/her retirement age.
While the memo comes in the wake of an embarrassing report that the Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma had sworn an affidavit to have his birth reversed, it is the first time the public service is revealing that the practice is widespread.
Musingwiire wrote: “In accordance with section L-b (7) of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders, the date of birth of a Public Officer shall be that which was initially recorded unless unquestionable evidence to the contrary is produced and accepted by the Responsible Permanent Secretary.”
“This request for change of dates of birth by these public servants arise after the exercise that followed the biometric validation and matching of public officers’ date of birth with those in the national identification register.
The report shows that for some public officer, the request for change of these birth dates is submitted when they are approaching the age of attainment of retirement age, however these dates of birth on their integrated payroll payment system(IPPS) does not match with that in the national identification register.”
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