Practitioners push for law to severely punish HR impostors

Mr Paul Rumanda Rugambwa (centr-seated), the president of Human Resource Managers Association of Uganda (HRMAU), together with the new board. PHOTO | COURTESY

Once apprehended, an individual practising human resource management in Uganda using counterfeit qualifications could face up to two years in jail or pay a fine of Shs20m, the Human Resource Management Professionals Bill 2025 proposes.

The Bill, currently before Parliament, seeks to regulate HR practice, crack down on fraud within the profession, restore credibility, enforce standards, and safeguard the integrity of human resource practice in the country.

Outgoing President of Human Resource Managers Association of Uganda (HRMAU), Mr Ronald Bbosa, wants Parliament to expedite passing the Bill, saying it will save the profession, whose integrity and transparency had been undermined due to quacks.

“As the Parliament is pushing for other bills like the Sovereignty Bill, we are urging them to consider reorganising the HR fraternity. Our profession is being flooded by people who don’t have standards, making us incompetent,” he stated.

Under the bill, any HR practitioner practising without a valid certificate faces up to six months in prison or a fine of Shs10 million.

Incoming HRMAU President, Mr Paul Rumanda Rugambwa, emphasises the need to promote professionalism, ethics and integrity in the profession.

“We want to see a regulated and vibrant profession with ethics and standards to ensure that no one will be allowed to practise the profession without the qualification; we must ensure that our governance structures are upright,” Mr Rugambwa asserted.

The Bill further states that any practising HR professional found with counterfeit documents or pretending to be a registered professional, if convicted, risks facing penalties of up to Shs20 million or imprisonment for two years.

They raised the concerns during the HRMAU handover in Kampala on Friday.

In response, Mr George Wafula, the commissioner of public service, said that the ministry has also developed a professionalisation strategy and framework to guide the process, but emphasised that the Bill will be discussed by the 12th Parliament.

He further stated that the Ministry of Public Service has embarked on the reform agenda to professionalise all the members of the public service across the entire country, calling on other departments to borrow a leaf.

The private member's Bill also seeks to establish the Human Resource Management Professionals Society to regulate the profession, issue licences, and enforce a code of conduct.

The Bill also proposes the annual practising certificate, expiring every December 31, renewed by an independent council that will be created at least two months before expiry.