Uganda: Museveni reshuffles cabinet
President Museveni yesterday reshuffled his cabinet, dropping his brother, Gen. Salim Saleh, and appointing his wife Janet.
First Lady Janet, a first-term Member of Parliament for Ruhaama County in Ntungamo District was appointed minister of state for Karamoja Affairs.
 Janet Museveni |
President Museveni announced the changes while in Arua where he is on a working visit.
Biggest casualty
The biggest casualty was Finance Minister Dr Ezra Suruma whose sacking follows several scandals under his watch, most notably those in the National Social Security Fund which he supervises. Like Saleh, he was retained as a senior presidential adviser.
Dr Suruma’s sacking was not entirely unexpected after David Jamwa, the suspended managing director of the NSSF wrote to President Museveni detailing how the minister had put him under pressure to buy land in Temangalo from Security Minister Amama Mbabazi and businessman Amos Nzeyi.
It ends Dr Suruma’s 46-month tenure at Finance and comes before he could fully implement his pet project to roll out a rural micro-finance programme.
Also dropped from the cabinet was Dr Ham Muliira, despite his PhD in Information Technology and having helped set up the new Information Technology ministry. He was named a senior presidential adviser.
Also dropped were five state ministers: Ssemakula Kiwanuka (finance in charge of investment), Kasirivu Atwooki (lands), Maj. James Kinobe (youth and culture) and Kagimu Kiwanuka (Office of the President).
While Dr Suruma has paid a high political price for the Temangalo saga, Mr Mbabazi came off unscathed, retaining his Security ministry. Far from a narrow escape, Mr Mbabazi appears to have emerged stronger, with many of his supporters in his fight for his political life being rewarded with cabinet posts or promotions.
Temangalo Factor
One of his most vocal supporters, Hope Mwesigye, has been promoted from state minister for local government to full minister in charge of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries.
MPs Jesca Alupo and James Kakooza, who were also strong Mbabazi defenders, were appointed state ministers for youth and children affairs and primary health care respectively. Ms Alupo is a former staff officer in the counter intelligence unit of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence which falls under Mr Mbabazi’s security docket.
 MOVED: Nankabirwa |
Another Mbabazi supporter, MP Asuman Kiyingi, who was infamously accused of trying to woo members of a parliamentary committee that investigated Mbabazi with wine, women and song – allegations he vigorously denied – was appointed state minister for lands.
Pereza Ahabwe who went from being a strong Mbabazi critic to strident supporter, is the new state minister for local government.
A surprising entry into cabinet is former Samia Bugwe North MP Aggrey Awori, a long-term member of the Uganda People’s Congress and one of Museveni’s opponents in the 2001 presidential elections. Mr Awori, who defected to Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement after losing his parliamentary seat in 2006, replaces Dr Mulira as ICT minister.
“It’s a pleasant surprise,” Mr Awori, who wasn’t aware of the appointment, told Daily Monitor last night when contacted for comment.
Other new faces include MP Henry Bagiire (state minister for agriculture), Kisira M. Mbeiza (state minister for economic monitoring in the Office of the President), and Rev. Fr. Simon Lokodo (state minister for industry). After several months on the dole, former army commander and state minister for environment Gen. Jeje Odongo bounces back as state minister for defence.
Mr Gabriel Opio has been promoted from state minister in charge of higher education to full minister for labour, gender and social affairs.
Transfers
Apart from the new faces, many ministers have swapped dockets in the new cabinet. The most prominent of all is Hajjat Syda Bumba who has overcome her challenges during her stint as Energy minister and her most-recent posting in Gender to bounce back as finance minister.
Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, has been transferred from Local Government to Trade and Industry. Gen. Otafiire has been replaced by Adolf Mwesigye, who has been switched from Office of the Prime Minister, as Minister for General Duties. Mr Mwesigye has been replaced by Janat Mukwaya, who was removed from trade and industry.
In other changes, Mr Daudi Migereko was removed from the powerful Energy and Minerals ministry and named Government Chief Whip, replacing Kabakumba Matsiko, who has been named Information and National Guidance Minister.
Ms Matsiko, replaces Al Hajji Kirunda Kivejinja, who remained third deputy prime minister, but has also been handed the all powerful internal affairs docket. Mr Kivejinja replaced Dr Ruhakana Rugunda who was posted to New York as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, where the country has a two-year seat on the Security Council.
In other changes, Mr Museveni posted Mr Hilary Onek from Agriculture to Energy and Minerals while junior ministers switched included Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, who has been handed the finance planning docket; Mwesigwa Rukutana from Labour to Higher Education, Kamanda Bataringaya and Peter Lokeris were switched between Minerals and Primary Education respectively.
Mr Aston Kajara has been switched from Karamoja Affairs to Finance (investment), while Ms Ruth Nankabirwa moves from state for defence to state for micro-finance. Mr Emmanuel Otala was switched from Health to Labour, while Ms Isanga Lukia was retained in the same ministry but given a new docket of Gender and Culture, replacing Maj. Kinobe.
Retained
Those who retained their positions include Vice President Gilbert Bukenya, Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi, Eriya Kategaya (first Deputy Prime Minister and minister of East African Affairs), Henry Kajura (second deputy prime minister and public service), Amama Mbabazi (security), Khidhu Makubuya (Attorney General), John Nasasira (Works & Transport), Sam Kuteesa (Foreign Affairs), Omara Atubo (Lands & Housing), Dr Crispus Kiyonga (Defence), Dr Beatrice Wabudeya (Presidency), Dr Stephen Mallinga (Health), Maria Mutagamba (Water and Environment) Namirembe Bitamazire (Education and Sports), Tarsis Kabwegyere (Relief & Disaster Preparedness) and Dorothy Hyuha (Minister without Portfolio).
Junior ministers retained, included; Mukisa Fred (Fisheries), Bright Rwamirama (Animal Industry), Charles Bakabulindi (Sports), Simon D’Juang (energy), Fred Omach (Finance, General Duties), Rukia Chekamondo (Privatization), Okello Oryem (International Affairs), Isaac Musumba (Regional Affairs), Madada Sulaiman (Elderly), Nduhuura Richard (Health , General Duties).
FULL CABINET LIST
President - MUSEVENI YOWERI KAGUTA
Vice President - BUKENYA GILBERT BALIBASEKA
CABINET MINISTERS:
1. Prime Minister/ Leader of Government Business - NSIBAMBI APOLLO
2. 1st Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister in charge of the East African Affairs - KATEGAYA ERIYA
3. 3rd Deputy Prime Minister/ Public Service - KAJURA HENRY
4. 3rd Deputy Prime Minister/ Internal Affairs. - KIRUNDA KIVEJJINJA
5. Security - MBABAZI AMAMA
6. The Presidency - WABUDEYA BEATRICE
7. General Duties/Office of the Prime Minister - MUKWAYA JANAT
8. Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries - MWESIGYE HOPE
9. Defence - KIYONGA CRISPUS
10. Disaster Preparedness and Refugees - KABWEGYERE TARSIS
11. Education and Sports - BITAMAZIRE GERALDINE
12. Energy and Minerals - ONEK HILLARY
13. Information And National Guidance - KABAKUMBA L. MATSIKO
14. Finance and Economic Planning - BBUMBA SYDDA
15. Works and Transport - NASASIRA JOHN
16. Justice/ Attorney General - KIDDU-MAKUBUYA
17. Gender and Social affairs - OPIO GABRIEL
18. Trade and Industry - KAHINDA-OTAFIIRE
19. Water and Environment - MUTAGAMBA MARIA
20. Lands, Housing and Urban Development - OMARA ATUBO
21. Health - MALINGA STEPHEN
22. Foreign Affairs - KUTEESA SAM
23. Communi- cations and ICT - AGGREY AWORI
24. Local Government - MWESIGYE ADOLF
25. Minister without Portfolio - HYUHA DOROTHY
26. Government Chief Whip - MIGEREKO DAVID
MINISTERS OF STATE:
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
1. Agriculture - BAGIIRE A. HENRY
2. Fisheries - MUKISA FRED
3. Animal Industry - RWAMIRAMA BRIGHT
Ministry of Education and Sports
4. Sports - BAKABULINDI CHARLES
5. Primary Education - BATARINGAYA KAMANDA
6. Higher Education - MWESIGWA RUKUTANA
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development:
7. Energy - D’UJANGA SIMON
8. Minerals - LOKERIS PETER
9. Finance (General) - OMACH FRED
10. Planning - KAMUNTU EPHRAHIM
11. Investment - KAJARA ASTON
12. Privatisation - CHEKAMONDO RUKIA
13. Micro- Finance - Nankabirwa Ruth
Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
14. International Affairs - OKELLO ORYEM
15. Regional Affairs - MUSUMBA ISAAC
Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development:
16. Gender And Culture - ISANGA LUKIA
17. Youth and Children Affairs - ALUPO JESSICA
18. Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations: - OTALA EMMANUEL
19. Elderly And Disability: - MADADA SULAIMAN
Ministry of Health:
20. Health (General) - NDUHUURA RICHARD
21. Primary Health Care - KAKOOZA JAMES
Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development:
22. Housing - WERIKHE KAFABUSA
23. Urban Development - TIBAMANYA URBAN
Office of the President:
24. Economic Monitoring - KISIRA M. MBEIZA
25. Ethics and Integrity - NSABA-BUTUURO
Office of the Prime Minister:
26. Relief and Disaster Preparedness - ECWERU MOSES
27. Northern Uganda - WAKIKOONA DAVID
28. Karamoja - MUSEVENI JANET KATAAHA
29. Luwero Triangle - NYOMBI TEMBO
Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry:
30. Trade - GAGGAWALA NELSON
31. Industry - LOKODO SIMON REVEREND FR.
32. Tourism - RUKUNDO SERAPIO
Ministry of Water and Environment:
33. Water - NAMUYANGU JENNIFFER
34. Environment - ERIYO JESSICA
35. Lands - KIYINGI ASUMAN
Ministry of Works and Transport:
36. Transport - EJUA SIMON
37. Works - BYABAGAMBI JOHN
38. Defence - ODONGO JEJE (GEN)
39. State Vice President’s Office - BABA JAMES
40. Internal Affairs - KASAIJA MATIA
41. State Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs - RUHINDI FRED
42. Communication (ICT) - NSAMBU ALINTUMA
43. Local Government - AHABWE PEREZ
44. Public Service - SSEZI MBAGUTA
SENIOR PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORS
2. Defence - Salim Saleh General
3. Micro-Finance - Wandira Specioza Kazibwe
4. Senior Presidential Advisor Special Duties in Foreign Affairs - Kizige Moses
5. Land Matters - Kasirivu Atwooki
6. Information, Communication Technology(ICT) - Mulira Ham