Public university Vice Chancellors and constituent College principals have been directed to adhere to the rules and regulations governing annual leave for staff serving a the institutions.
In a memo, University Education and Research Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala said public officers are required to take their vacation in every calendar year warning that staff are not allowed to accumulate leave days in a given year.
Through a directive dated October 16, 2023, Dr. Inyangala stated the said guidelines are clearly outlined in the 2016 Public Service Human Resource and Procedure Manual and relevant State Corporation HR policies.
She emphasized that annual leave, which serves as a fundamental right for public officers, is intended to facilitate their rejuvenation and enhance overall work efficiency.
The directive aims to put emphasis on a prior letter dated September 27, 2023, referenced as OP/CAB.2/1, which originated from the office of the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service.
It also aims to address gaps in implementing these regulations effectively and ensure that public officers receive the benefits entitled to them under this policy.
While acknowledging that the exigencies of duty could sometimes affect the timely utilization of the vacation, Dr. Inyangala emphasized that the period could not be accumulated or exchanged for cash, except as specified in service regulations.
Additionally, public officers are not allowed to accumulate more than 45 leave days in any given year, which was a result of the total available days annually and the permissible carry-over days.
Moreover, there would be no carry-over of more than 15 unspent leave days into a new leave year.
To ensure the effective implementation of this policy, Vice Chancellors and Principals have been instructed to review and determine the pending leave days for each of the public officers under their jurisdiction.
They are also required to prepare a comprehensive leave plan and ensure its enforcement through the respective department heads and human resource managers.
Officers with accumulated or unutilized leave days are to proceed on leave as per the plan, taking into account the demands of their duties. They are also expected to provide evidence of their leave applications, including any deferment decision made by their line supervisors due to exigencies of duty, to justify the accumulation of leave days.
Human resource managers have been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all leave days, including those carried forward from the current leave year, are utilized on or before June 30, 2024. Failure to apply for leave in the prescribed format would result in forfeiture.
Authorized officers have been mandated to ensure compliance with this requirement and incorporate it into the next annual leave plan instrument.
By Viola Chepkemoi
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