State house Entebbe

The newly appointed and approved Cabinet is set to be sworn in on today at Entebbe State House. According to sources some appointed ministers a letter was sent to all appointed ministers, to travel to Entebbe  for
the occasion that is going to be presided over by the appointing authority- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The new cabinet has been increased to 80 in numbers with the creation of new ministries. Kampala Capital City Authority has been fractured from the Presidency and it is now an independent ministry. Science, Technology and Innovation ministry was also split from the ministry of Education and Sports, a state ministerial position for Veterans Affairs was created in the Defense ministry.

A total of 76 ministers were approved by Parliament as required by the constitution article 113 (2). 3 ministers were rejected by the Appointments Committee of Parliament chaired by Speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga while one was withdrawn by the president.

The State Minister designate for Elderly and Disables, Adrian Tibaleka, Orot Ismael for Works and Harriet Ntabanzi for Industries were excluded on grounds of questionable academic papers and records. The country has been virtually without cabinet for over a month since the term of the ministers who served in the last government expired.

The lack of cabinet in place generated legal debates during the reading of the budget and the president was forced to refer to the minister of Finance designate, Matia Kasiaja as Member for Parliament Bujenje constituency.

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Private teachers have warned government on the big cabinet numbers saying it might affect performance of particularly the education sector. Cabinet has about 80 ministers and others yet to be nominated by president as per the caucus resolution to make the number 88 but according to private teachers this poses a huge threat on public spending that will affect performance of other sectors and agencies.

Coalition of Uganda private Schools Teachers Association executive director Patrick Kaboyo says all funds will be diverted to cater for the  many cabinet members as other sectors are isolated. He however says they are contented with the quality and combination of the ministry of education designated ministers for better performance.

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Florence Nayiga, the last PWD appointed to cabinet (August 1998 – June 2006)

The disability persons while at their offices in Kisasi said that being that in the president’s new cabinet there is no single person with disability other groups of organizations and individuals will also neglect them for jobs. One of the persons with disability under NUDIPU, Yona Waswa said that disability persons were last catered for in the 1998 cabinet which had Florence Nayiga as minister for Elderly and disability and he based on this ground to demand the president to give  an answer to the disability persons on the criteria he uses  while appointing ministers without considering persons with disability. Waswa said that the president should accord persons with disability the same treatment while carrying out appointments for different posts in government.

The Executive Director the National Union of disability persons of Uganda Edson Ngirabakuzi said that disability persons have five representatives in parliament from whom the appointing authority should have picked one, or consulting NUDIPU to point at the good disability person with the qualifications wanted. Ngirabakuzi said that the appointing authority has for long neglected disability persons for ministerial, permanent secretary, RDCs and Ambassador posts.

Also the women with disability under NUDIPU and the National union of women with Disabilities of Uganda Esther Kyozira and Rose Achayo respectively complain that of the over 13 women in the new ministerial appointments there is no one with disability yet women with disability have supported the NRM government since 1987.

The disability persons say that they want to meet the president to voice their concerns since they have 12.5% population on the national population.

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The number of ministers approved

Parliament has approved the expansion of the cabinet from 21 to 31 for cabinet ministers and from 31 to 49 for ministers of State. This brings the entire number to 80 ministers, the largest number in Uganda’s political history.

The motion to increase the cabinet was tabled by Kiboga woman MP Ruth Nankabirwa and seconded by Kassanda South MP, Simeo Nsubuga and supported by majority members from the ruling National Resistance Movement as  those from the opposition rejected it.
Leader of opposition in parliament Winnie Kiiza cautioned that Uganda needs better services and not a huge cabinet. Other members  mainly from  the opposition we have talked to including Abdu Katuntu, Sempala Kigozi of Makindye Sabagabo, Lutamaguzi Semakula of Nakaseke among several others are concerned that the increment will stretch tax payers due to heavy expenditure on public administration. Nankabirwa however says that the population has grown with more administrative units including constituencies and municipalities and thus the need to expand cabinet.

This afternoon, parliaments appointments committee is slated to commence the vetting exercise for the cabinet ministers.

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Those who voted against include Mwijukye Francis Buhweju county, Sewanyana Allan Makidye west, Kasibante Moses Lubaga north and Mubarak Munyagwa Serunga. After seconding Sekandi for vice president MP Odonga Otto urged him to speak to the president to have a dialogue with COL Dr kizza Besigye to have him released from jail.

The house also approved Kasese woman MP Win Kizza  as opposition leader and Semujju Ibrahim as the opposition chief whip.

Parliament also Constituted the appointments committee headed by speaker Kadaga with NRM having majority members  including Arinaitwe Rwakajara , Hellen Ondoa, Makumbi Henry, Moses Balyeku, Beatrice
Rwakimari among others. Other members include Joseph Sewungu of DP, Santa Olumu from UPC,
Winnie Kizza , Betty Aol and Francis Mwijukye all from FDC. COL Elly Tumwine will represent UPDF on the committee.

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Karimajong members of parliament are disheartened by the newly appointed ministers for Karamoja region, asking the president to explain whether he is punishing them for their huge support to the NRM party. This as the president on Monday this week appointed Eng. John Byagambi minister for Karamoja Affairs and his deputy Moses Kizige .

Addressing journalists at parliament, the MPs including Samson Lokeris  from Dodoth east county, Christine Nakwang  woman MP for Kaabong district, Fred Angella MP for Moroto municipality, Christopher Kipterit MP for Upe, MP for Pine county Remegio Achia  and former MPs like Simon Aleper expressed dissatisfaction that despite voting for him 92% in the concluded general elections, no person from Karamoja was appointed full minister in the new cabinet.

The Member of Parliament for Pine county Remegio Achia together with Karimajong  group while at parliament told journalists that they are disappointed over Karimajong missing on cabinet full minister appointments for the last 30 years and wandered why didn’t the president find a worthy Karimajong to replace the first lady for this ministerial post.

The NRM Karimajong vice chairperson Simon Peter Aleper flanked by 10 Karimajong MPs said that the president must give the Karimajong an answer to why he is neglecting them, saying  that Karamoja leaders are going to write a protest letter to the president over cabinet appointments. Karamoja MPs said that the Karimajong are tired of being ministers of state and noted that since the NRM government no single Karimajong woman has ever been appointed a minister.

Upe county MP Christopher Kipterit Akorikimoi said people from Karamoja have for long been experiencing poor services like bad roads, schools, in addition to dying due to famine but very little attention is paid for lack of full powers to decide what should be done and  since state ministers from the region lack mandate work under their bosses. They vowed not to engage in translating the  ministers speeches  to  Karimajong while in Karamoja region.
Sons of Karimajong Father Simon Lokodo appointed minister of state for Ethics and integrity and Peter Lokeris as the minister of state for mineral development.

In other news Parliament is set to sit and vet the vice president. Parliament will consider the approval of the vice president Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi who has been retained in the new cabinet. This will be the first sitting since the members of parliament for the 10th parliament were sworn in. In this sitting the parliamentary appointment committee will be constituted to pave way for the vetting of 38 new ministers in the cabinet.

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Congratulations to the newly appointed Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State. All the best… #Uganda

— Sarah Kagingo (@SarahKagingo) June 6, 2016

*How the Ugandan cabinet was selected*
Can you play temple run? Yes..Minister of Sports.

Did you watch 24? Yes Minister of Security.

— Dr. Jeff 4.4.4 (@andsjeff) June 6, 2016

Other surprise in new #Uganda cabinet is Betty Kamya, former challenger to Museveni under FDC & own party, as Minister for Kampala.

— Patience Atuhaire (@patuhaire) June 6, 2016

Another lousy Cabinet lineup. Shows #Museveni is really not after service delivery for 2016-21 as he claims. But #Uganda has seen days!

— Bernard Tabaire (@btabaire) June 6, 2016

Kanyeihamba: Uganda will never achieve middle income status in the lifetime of President Museveni. This Cabinet is a non-performing Cabinet

— NBS Television (@nbstv) June 7, 2016

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Barnabas Tinkasiimire

Buyaga west MP Barnabas Tinkasiimire says that  Members of parliament should stop spending sleepless nights looking for how they enter into the pending cabinet since the old ministers will be many in the cabinet. Tinkasimire, speaking to journalists at parliament, said that the majority of NRM members are with high expectations of being ministers and they might end up collapsing once missing on cabinet list. He advises them to concentrate more on serving people who elected them to parliament than thinking about ministerial posts. Tinkasimire says that the President’s loyal old ministers will resurface in the new cabinet list.

Tinkasiimire also asked President Yoweri Museveni to take  action against  UNRA officials who diverted the authority’s  funds. The commission of inquiry into mismanagement of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in a report released showed that  4 trillion shillings was lost in seven years through dubious deals, notably through collusion between its own staff and contractors; inflating cost of road projects; and delayed action on recommendations listed in the Auditor General’s reports. Tinkansimire says it’s upon Museveni to prove his talk on fighting corruption or leave the implicated to be scot free like others who are in government.

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The Member of Parliament for Gulu municipality Leander Komakech says that the president should have ministers who have the technical capacity to deliver services to the intended community. The woman member of parliament for Mitoma district Jovah Kamateka says that the new cabinet should be focusing on the NRM party manifesto.

MPS Bernard Atiku and Joshua Anyarach want cabinet of youth and one which will own government projects.

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