Some engineers at the Ministry of Works have petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG) over the alleged illegal extension of a non-renewable contract of their acting engineer-in-chief.

The officials say they are being denied a chance to get the position since Eng Mugisa Obyero's contract ended on August 29.

“To our shock, the man (Eng Obyero) is still comfortably in office exercising full powers of the post and assuming higher powers. It is shocking that he has been elevated to act as Permanent Secretary from September 23 to October 7, 2013,” the petition reads in part.

The petition also accuses the Works official of evicting senior officers from an office in Kampala in order to sit close to the PS, Mr Alex B Okello.

In an October 29 letter to Public Service PS Adah Muwanga, Mr Okello requested that Eng Obyero be handed a one-year non-renewable local contract, saying no preparation had been made for his replacement.

When contacted for a comment yesterday, Ms Ali Munira, the IGG spokesperson, confirmed a complaint had been filed but said she needed to get the updates of the investigations to give a substantive comment.

However, she had not done so by press time.

Last week, Eng Obyero denied any wrongdoing, saying the move to extend his contract was an initiative of the administration.

“It is the permanent secretary who is pursuing it,” he said. The Public Service Commission also declined to renew the contract, saying it was unconstitutional.

ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com