Did Pastor Ssempa Fail Porn Committee Appraisals?

‘Probation’ and ‘appraisals’ are two words that most employees dread to hear. Regardless, they are the norm in just about every company. Let’s start off with probation.

Tow The Company Line During Probation 

If you have any doubts about the necessity of a probationary period for new employees, consider this research: 18% of new recruits fail probation (Opinion Matters survey, 2017). So without it, almost a fifth of a workforce are deadwood or airheads. Probation, is a trial period for newly recruited workers that lasts usually three months during which the new employee is tested to see if they can actually do the job.

On the other hand, an employee appraisal, is a review of a worker’s job performance wherein employees are evaluated on a regular basis - often once a year and helps remind workers what their managers expect in the workplace and provides employers with information to use when making employment decisions, such as promotions, pay rises, and sackings.

We All Get Appraised At Least Once A Year

When I joined New Vision, I didn’t join as a full-time staffer but, as a freelancer which meant, I was exempt from being put on probation and being appraised. It was only when Lilliane Barenzi who was then, the society editor resigned and I filled her position that I became a fulltime staffer. From then on, I was appraised on a yearly basis.

Enter Pastor Martin Ssempa who Wikipedia describes as: “A pastor, activist and founder of the Makerere Community Church. Pastor Martin Ssempa first came to international prominence in 2010 after a presentation video he made at his church which showcased his opposition of homosexuality went viral online.”

Pastor Martin Ssempa - Founder Of Makerere Community Church

Ssempa is a friend though we don’t talk much – not because we don’t want to, but because we move in different social circles. Getting back, in 2017 when Ethics Minister, Father Simon Lokodo appointed his 9-member porn committee headed by Dr Annette Kasimbazi, he also appointed Ssempa as an obvious choice to be on the committee because his stance against homosexuality is almost at fever pitch.

While I stand to be corrected, I presume members of the porn committee act as a censor board of sorts – in that they sit down in a dark bunker go through porn magazines, movies and nude selfies to determine what qualifies to be classed as porn. If it is classed as porn, they swiftly remove the material and perhaps arrest the people behind the porn.

Porn Cop - Father Lokodo Suspended Pastor Ssempa

Two weeks ago, Lokodo dropped a bombshell by suspending Ssempa for what he termed “under performance” which conveniently, brings us back to the preamble of today’s ramble - probations and appraisals. With the porn committee having been established in 2017, its obvious Ssempa did pass the probationary period because at most, probations don’t exceed one year - and two years have elapsed since his appointment so it can be that.

If it’s not probation, then it has to do with his appraisal and like it was mentioned in the preamble, employees are appraised yearly and thus we have to assume that when Lokodo appraised Ssempa, he found his (Ssempa’s) work did not meet the grade. So what could Ssempa have been doing wrong to be the only member of the committee not to have passed the appraisal?

How The Observer Broke The News

Did he not watch enough porn? Did he okay X-rated material to go out into the market rather than having it banned? Did he take porn videos home yet, it was against the rules? Or perhaps, he smuggled in friends to watch movies and look at nude pictures?

However, what has surprised most, is that I didn’t think it would be a male member who would be the first to exit. I always thought it would have been Dr Annette Kasimbazi who, would not have been able to stomach watching the filth and slime that porn offers on a daily basis. 

Photos: mi-dui-attorney.com; smordinlaw.com; pinknews.co.uk; The Observer