Justice Sought: Interdicted Mbale Education Officer Sues City Council Over 8-Month Suspension

In a bold move that has stirred public interest, Mrs. Nasimiyu Linus, a long-serving education officer in Mbale City, has taken legal action against the Mbale City Council over what she describes as an unfair and emotionally driven interdiction that has lasted over eight months.

Mrs. Nasimiyu, who has served in the education department since 2007 when Mbale was still a municipal council, was put on interdiction in September last year—allegedly under the influence of former City Clerk Mr. Ocen Ambrose. Despite her five-year stint in an acting capacity, her position was later advertised by the city authorities while she was still on interdiction.

Her attempts to seek justice saw her petition the Equal Opportunities Commission, which led to the City Council reporting her to the Mbale High Court. However, justice prevailed when she won the case. Today, she is demanding compensation of over Shs 50 million for the damages and humiliation suffered during her suspension.

Sources reveal that shortly after Mrs. Linus met the President to express her ordeal, Mr. Ambrose was sacked, with his immediate transfer orchestrated by the Ministry of Local Government. The Permanent Secretary, reportedly a close ally of the former clerk, was also summoned from leave to implement the changes.

Despite the court ruling and mounting public support, Mrs. Linus has yet to be reinstated. Allegations suggest that confidants of the former city clerk are working behind the scenes to frustrate her return, attempting to influence the current leadership to keep her out of office.

Mrs. Linus’s legal team remains confident, armed with evidence they believe will secure her full reinstatement and compensation. Her case has now become a symbol of how some civil servants in Uganda suffer in silence—victims of office politics and unchecked authority.

Ugandans from across the country have begun rallying behind her, offering moral and emotional support in what is now being seen as a fight not just for one woman’s justice, but for the dignity of all civil servants facing similar injustices.