Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday appointed an 81-member cabinet while he is constituting the new government.
Museveni, who was sworn in on May 12 for his sixth five-year term in office, named the vice president, 32 cabinet ministers and 49 state ministers. He dropped several long-serving ministers in his previous cabinet, and reshuffled and appointed new faces.
According to a State House statement detailing the new cabinet, Museveni named Jessica Alupo as the country’s vice president, Robinah Nabbanja as prime minister and leader of government business in the Parliament, former parliament speaker Rebecca Kadaga as first deputy prime minister and minister of East African Community Affairs, Moses Ali as second deputy prime minister and deputy leader of government business in the Parliament. He appointed Jim Muhwezi as minister for security, Thomas Tayebwa as government chief whip and Francis Mwebesa as minister for trade, industry and cooperatives.
Museveni named former internal affairs minister Jeje Odongo as foreign affairs minister, former government chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa as minister for energy and mineral development, former agriculture minister Vincent Ssempijja as new minister of defense and veteran affairs and secretary general of the ruling National Resistance Movement party, Justine Kasule Lumumba as new minister of general duties in the office of the prime minister. He transferred former minister of East African Community Affairs Kahinda Otafiire as minister for internal affairs, former minister of information, communications and national guidance Judith Nabakooba as minister of lands, housing and urban development. Uganda’s parliamentary appointments committee is expected to start vetting the appointed ministers who are supposed to be sworn in ahead of next week’s budget reading.
