Their absence follows concerns over citizenship status that emerged during Parliament’s vetting process. Three of the nominees are reported to have held dual citizenship, while another was found to have multiple citizenships.
The Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, has explained the absence of five ministers-designate during the swearing-in ceremony for Uganda’s new Cabinet at State House Entebbe on Monday.
Addressing guests at the event, Nakyobe said 78 Cabinet members were present and ready to take the oath of office, while five nominees were unable to participate.
“One is indisposed. The four others, as guided by the President, were engaged over the weekend by myself and the Solicitor General. A brief has been submitted for further guidance from the President,” she said.
The four ministers-designate who missed the ceremony are Adonia Ayebare, nominated as Minister of Foreign Affairs; Calvin Echodu, State Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs); Sharsti Kutesa Musherure, State Minister-designate for Microfinance; and Dr. Lawrence Muganga, State Minister-designate for Internal Affairs.
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Their absence follows concerns over citizenship status that emerged during Parliament’s vetting process. Three of the nominees are reported to have held dual citizenship, while another was found to have multiple citizenships.
President Yoweri Museveni presided over the swearing-in ceremony, which ushered in the new Cabinet in the presence of senior government officials, including Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah Oboth-Oboth, Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, and other dignitaries.
Sources familiar with the matter say government lawyers are examining whether initiating the process of renouncing foreign citizenship is sufficient under Ugandan law, or whether nominees must obtain formal confirmation from foreign governments before assuming ministerial office.
The citizenship concerns first came to light during Parliament’s vetting exercise. Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa revealed that the Appointments Committee had identified four nominees with dual or multiple citizenship status after verification by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“We discovered that we had three colleagues who had dual citizenship and one colleague who had multiple citizenship,” Tayebwa told journalists following the vetting process.
He noted that the committee carefully reviewed citizenship records and documentation submitted by the affected nominees regarding the renunciation of their foreign citizenships.
According to sources, Ayebare, Echodu and Musherure presented evidence showing they had initiated formal renunciation procedures with the relevant foreign authorities.
Dr. Muganga’s case attracted additional scrutiny after the Appointments Committee reportedly declined to approve his nomination and instead referred the matter back to President Museveni for further consideration.
The decision to exclude all four nominees from Monday’s swearing-in suggests that government is awaiting legal guidance before allowing them to take office.
Officials say the affected nominees could be sworn in at a later date once the citizenship issues are fully resolved and any required documentation is completed.
Their absence means the newly constituted Cabinet begins its work with four ministerial positions effectively unfilled, pending a final determination on a matter that has sparked significant political and legal debate in recent weeks.
