Over 20,000 Shortlisted for URA Jobs

Kampala | RedPepper – Having been availed additional funding by Parliament, the tax body; Uganda Revenue Authority recently advertised calling upon qualified Ugandans to apply for the lucrative jobs that will be available effective this new Financial Year.

Following the rigorous process of verification in the various positions, that fall in the category of supervisor, officers and support staff, a shortlist was released last Monday, August 23^rd  of those who made the cut to the next step in the recruiting process.

But the applicants are having sleepless nights because in the grand scheme of things, being shortlisted doesn’t guarantee that they have the job on their palms, since they could be eliminated at the aptitude test stage.

 It is public knowledge that there is looming unemployment in the country especially among the youthful populace between 25 to 35 years. According to the statistics from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), the rate stands at 2.44% according to the 2020 findings.

However, what is shocking from the shortlist is the fact that only five percent of the applicants who applied for the various positions at the Authority from the central business district of Kampala, having gone through the shortlist with third eye scrutiny, we can reveal.

The shortlisted applicants have to battle it out in the following positions which have about 21,000 shortlisted although the domestic tax officers take the lion’s share of the shortlisted candidates.

The positions in summary are administrative officers, Fleet assistant, officer applications support, officer automatic exchange of information, officer hardware installations and maintenance, officer human resource, officer international taxation, officer litigation, office attendant, officer financial investigations, officer ICT Security, officer software engineering, officer internal audit, officer software engineering, officer business support and systems, officer contact centre, officer data centre, officer prosecution, officer board affairs, officer payroll among other positions.

Journalists have also applied for positions especially in the media and public relations department.

The eminent scribes who have applied and been shortlisted into what is going to be a prolonged recruitment process include Agnes Nantaba (The Independent), Geoffrey Alaari Mutegeki (New Vision), Dennis Bbosa West (NTV/Galaxy FM), Eric Dominic Bukenya (Daily Monitor), Doreen Nsabohurira (Communications Officer Lands Ministry), Francis Lubega (Daily Monitor), Frank Kahesi Serugo (Red Pepper/Bukedde), Julius Odeke Roy Muganda (formerly Red Pepper), Patrick Ocaido (Kampala Post) and Kahungu Misairi Thembo who until recently was a Daily Monitor political journalist based at Parliament.

Having ceased to be Monitor employee, Mr. Kahungu currently works with the CEO Magazine whose proprietor Kyamutetera Muhereza is a renowned ally of the URA Corporate & Public Affairs department under Ian Rumanyika.

Others on the list are Nina Nekesa Irene (a media practitioner affiliated to the ruling NRM), Elizabeth Agiro (a veteran journalist who has previously practised with Daily Monitor, Observer and New Vision/was mentored by the best Ogen Kevin Aliro), Alex Bukumunhe (formerly of Red Pepper & UHRC), business reporter Hope Muhairwe (formerly of Red Pepper), Edward Kayiwa, Paul Adude (Daily Monitor) and supplements writer Racheal Nabisubi Mildred (Daily Monitor).

A large number of scribes willing to abandon their apparently vibrant media practice has prompted top officials at URA to wonder what they are exactly running away from (apart from too much work & unimpressive remuneration) because even those working at well-paying companies like Vision Group are many on the list.

It’s going to be a tight race for sure because a good number of the guys on the list are highly suitable not only in terms of experience, exposure and academic qualifications (we can see guys with MBAs on the list implying on getting there, even Ian Rumanyika, the Acting Assistant Commissioner; Public and Corporate affairs head won’t be safe having to supervise juniors with such impressive qualifications and academic CVs). Just take a look at the full list of those who have been shortlisted for the Media Relations slots.

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