President Yoweri Museveni has sworn in three ministers whose assumption of office was delayed over questions surrounding their citizenship, clearing the way for them to formally begin their new assignments.The three are Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who has been sworn in as Minister of Foreign Affairs; Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Microfinance; and Witonze Juma, Minister of State for Internal Affairs.
Museveni presided over the swearing-in ceremony at State House Entebbe on Tuesday and urged the new ministers to focus on fighting corruption and improving efficiency in government. “I congratulate them and urge them to focus on eliminating corruption and inefficiency in Government through proper supervision and accountability,” Museveni said.
The President also addressed the issue of dual citizenship, which had delayed the assumption of office by some of his nominees. “On dual citizenship, I stressed that while the arrangement was introduced to address Uganda’s difficult history, people must be clear about where their loyalty lies,” Museveni said.
He added that the East African Federation remains the long-term solution to questions of identity and integration in the region.
Ayebare and Musherure were among four ministerial nominees who did not take the oath when the new Cabinet was sworn in at State House on June 8. The other two were David Calvin Echodu, designated Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of International Affairs, and Dr Lawrence Muganga, designated Minister of State for Internal Affairs
While Ayebare and Musherure have now been cleared to take office, Echodu’s appointment remains unresolved. Muganga’s appointment has also effectively been overtaken by the appointment and swearing-in of Witonze Juma as State Minister for Internal Affairs.
The delays followed questions raised during the parliamentary vetting process over the citizenship status of some of the nominees. Uganda allows dual citizenship, but the Citizenship and Immigration Control Act places restrictions on dual citizens holding certain senior public offices, including Cabinet and State ministerial positions.
Immigration records presented to Parliament during the vetting process showed that Ayebare held Ugandan and United States citizenship, while Musherure was also listed as holding Ugandan and US citizenship.
Echodu was found to possess Ugandan and US passports, although immigration officials reportedly told Parliament they had no record confirming that he had acquired dual citizenship.
Muganga, the Vice Chancellor of Victoria University, was reported to hold Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan citizenship. The four consequently missed the June swearing-in ceremony as the Head of Public Service and Solicitor General reviewed their cases and submitted a report for presidential guidance.
Ayebare’s delayed assumption of office also left the Foreign Affairs docket without its designated Cabinet minister, prompting Museveni to appoint State Minister for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo as acting Foreign Affairs minister pending resolution of the matter.
By July, reports indicated that Ayebare and Musherure had resolved the citizenship concerns, including renouncing their foreign citizenship, paving the way for Tuesday’s swearing-in. The swearing-in of Ayebare and Musherure, however, leaves Echodu as the outstanding case among the four ministers whose appointments were affected by the citizenship questions. Echodu was designated Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of International Affairs.
During the parliamentary vetting process, questions were raised over his possession of Ugandan and US passports. However, immigration officials reportedly said they had no record showing that he had acquired dual citizenship. His appointment remains on the list of presidential appointments that have not been fully regularised.
Muganga’s case took a different turn after Parliament’s Appointments Committee rejected his nomination amid concerns over his citizenship status. The committee reportedly found that Muganga held Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan citizenship and was not satisfied with the evidence presented regarding the relinquishment of his foreign citizenship.
Muganga had been designated Minister of State for Internal Affairs, but Museveni has since appointed Witonze Juma to the position. The other outstanding issue in Museveni’s Cabinet is the continued absence of his wife, Janet Kataaha Museveni, who was retained as Minister of Education and Sports in the new administration.
Janet Museveni was included on the Cabinet list announced by Museveni on May 26, but she did not take the oath alongside the other ministers in June.
Museveni subsequently appointed the state minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, to act as Minister of Education and Sports. Her continued absence means the ministry remains under an acting minister while Janet Museveni remains listed as the substantive minister.
The government has not announced a replacement for her, leaving questions over when she will formally assume the portfolio.
Tuesday’s swearing-in therefore resolves some of the outstanding issues surrounding Museveni’s new Cabinet but leaves Echodu’s appointment and Janet Museveni’s continued absence unresolved.
Museveni’s remarks on dual citizenship also signal that the issue remains a broader question of public office, national loyalty and regional integration.
The President argued that the proposed East African Federation would ultimately provide a solution to questions of identity and integration, while stressing that individuals holding multiple citizenships must be clear about where their loyalty lies when serving in senior government positions-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
