First Lady Janet, a first-term Member of Parliament for Ruhaama County
in Ntungamo District was appointed minister of state for Karamoja
Affairs.
Gen Salim Saleh, also known as Caleb Akandwanaho, was dropped as state
minister for Finance in charge of Microfinance after less than three
years on the job. He has, however, been retained as a senior
presidential adviser.
President Museveni announced the changes while in Arua, West Nile where he is on a working visit.
The biggest casualty was Finance Minister Dr Ezra Suruma whose sacking
follows several scandals under his watch, most notably those in the
Uganda’s 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.
Five state ministers
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.
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.
Another Mbabazi supporter, MP Asuman Kiyingi, 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.
Surprise entry
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.
Its 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. – Daily Nation