After close to three years of service at the Education Service Commission, as secretary, Dr. John Geoffrey Mbabazi is on his way out.

Dr. Mbabazi has served in the Education Service Commission for three years.

The head of Public Service John Mitala, in a letter which New Vision got privy to, Mbabazi was informed that the appointing authority, who in this case is President Yoweri Museveni, had decided not to renew his contract.

The letter was sent to Mbabazi and copied to other officers at the end of last month.

Mbabazi had submitted his application with four others to Mitala, who later on passed them on to the Public Service Commission for consideration and advice to the appointing authority. Mbabazi was invited and he appeared before the Commission.

Later, Mitala wrote back to Mbabazi, notifying him that the Chairperson of the Commission had informed him that the President had not renewed his contract as the secretary to the commission.

Mitala, in his letter, asked Mbabazi to, “properly handover” his office, “to the next most senior person at the Secretariat of the Education Service Commission.”

Mitala thanked Mbabazi for the contribution he had made during his Service since his appointment.

Mbabazi has been serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Education Service Commission, since 2009.He was one of the four successful candidates in the interviews, out of 37 people who attended the following interviews.

He holds a doctorate in Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA Degree Course with the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute.

During his tenure, over 10,000 teachers have been appointed for Universal Secondary Education (USE), Universal Post ‘O’ Level Education and Business, Technical and Vocation Education and Training (BTVET).

According to records, he has during his tenure has over 100 cases handled for KCCA, on top of regularizing, confirming and promoting over 8,000 teachers.

He has also ensured transparency, professionalism, impartiality and meritocracy during the recruitment processes; and there were hardly any complaints against the Commission.

He became Director of Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports Headquarters in 2006 and also led Commissioners and other ministry staff in ensuring the successful kick off of the Universal Secondary Education programme which was launched in 2007.

During his term of office at the Commission, he also reviewed the produced the Client Charter, 2011, Education Service Commission Regulations, 2012, and the Teachers’ Professional Code of Conduct (2012).

He was among the first graduate Engineers to pioneer Uganda Technical Colleges in 1984.

Mbabazi was also a Principal of Uganda Technical College Kichwamba when the ADF rebels attached the college in 1998.

They abducted 80 students and torched the College truck and three students’ hostels.  Over 40 students perished in the inferno.

The College hostels were rehabilitated and the truck was replaced.  Despite the tragedy, the College was never closed and today it has over 500 students.

By Conan Businge, The New Vision