In Uganda’s public sector, deployment practices are largely influenced by ethnographic networks and patronage structures, where local affiliations and relational obligations often take precedence over merit-based considerations. This study critically examines how such dynamics marginalize highly skilled professionals, including master’s degree holders and above, who are often assigned to peripheral roles such as personal assistants to ministers due to their regional origins rather than expertise. Relying on extensive secondary data—comprising government reports, scholarly literature, policy analyses, and documented case studies—the research uncovers patterns of deployment that undermine optimal utilization of human capital and weaken organizational integrity and effectiveness. These entrenched patronage mechanisms reinforce regional inequalities and exacerbate socio-political fragmentation, obstructing national cohesion and socio-economic progress. The study highlights the urgent need for reforms that prioritize merit, transparency, and impartiality to dismantle ethnographic patronage entrenched in deployment decisions. Situating the marginalization of elite professionals within broader governance and institutional contexts, this research contributes to ongoing debates on public sector reform and social justice in post-colonial African states. Tackling ethnographic patronage is critical to fostering a competent, equitable, and effective public administration capable of advancing Uganda’s developmental objectives.