President Yoweri Museveni has sworn in three newly appointed ministers, bringing to completion their appointments to Cabinet after delays linked to citizenship questions and parliamentary vetting.
The three—Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, Adonia Ayebare and Juma Witonze—took their oaths of office on Tuesday at State House Entebbe.
Ms Musherure was sworn in as Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Microfinance, while Mr Ayebare took office as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mr Witonze was sworn in as Minister of State for Internal Affairs.
Their appointments had been delayed as questions were raised over citizenship and, in Mr Witonze’s case, after Parliament rejected the candidature of Dr Lawrence Muganga for the Internal Affairs portfolio.
Mr Ayebare and Ms Musherure were initially unable to take their oaths with other Cabinet members after concerns were raised about their United States citizenship. Their appointments were later cleared after they completed the process of renouncing their US citizenship.
Mr Witonze was subsequently nominated by President Museveni for the State Minister for Internal Affairs position after Parliament’s Appointments Committee rejected Dr Muganga’s nomination over citizenship concerns.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, President Museveni congratulated the three ministers and tasked them with addressing corruption and inefficiency in government.
“I congratulate them and urge them to focus on eliminating corruption and inefficiency in Government through proper supervision and accountability,” Mr Museveni said.
The President also used the occasion to address the wider debate surrounding dual citizenship, saying the policy was introduced in response to Uganda’s historical circumstances but that citizens holding more than one nationality should be clear about their allegiance.
“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,” he said.
Mr Museveni further linked the citizenship debate to his long-standing push for deeper regional integration, arguing that the proposed East African Federation could provide a broader framework for addressing questions of identity and citizenship within the region.
“Ultimately, the East African Federation remains the long-term solution to questions of identity and integration in our region,” he said.
The swearing-in formally places the three ministers in office as the government moves to implement its policy priorities under the latest Cabinet changes.
