By; Francis Lubega

31st October 2019

 

The State Minister for Internal Affairs Mario Obiga Kania has decried of the brain drain of forensic experts due to their demand and skills globally.

 

While meeting with members of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this morning Obiga who is the overseer of the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories revealed that law salaries has left the country with gaps of such experts saying the situation can only be arrested once the planned salary enhancement for scientists who are public servants is implemented which parliament has to endorse.

MPs also learnt that the regional laboratories in Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto and Gulu are grossly understaffed which affects laboratory analysis to make the matters worse it was learnt that 2 of the regional laboratories in Mbarara and Moroto are manned by only one person each at the level of office attendant; the Mbale lab has two personnel.

The director of the forensic Directorate Kepher Kuchana upon interrogation by the MPs admitted that all they do is to receive and store samples a responsibility that caused a lot of questions from among others the Masaka municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga was particularly concerned about the contamination of exhibits owing to poor handling by office attendants.

Kuchana says the directorate needs 1.2 billion shillings to fill the approved human resource structure adding that out of the approved structure of 124 positions only 50 are filled.


Friday 1st November 2019 04:04:50 AM