Kampala, (UG):- The Secretary to Cabinet and Head of Public Service, Ms Lucy Nakyobe has clarified Alex Kakooza as a Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperative saying remanded Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa could still be reinstated in the position if cleared of the charges.
“I appointed Alex Kakooza to care take because we had an emergency. The ministry (Trade) cannot stop. So, we had to appoint somebody. For now, he is still the caretaker,” Ms Nakyobe said on Friday without necessarily going into details of the emergency.
When pressed to reveal how long Kakooza will occupy the office in a caretaker role, Ms Nakyobe said; “For sure, I really don’t know. According to the rules of public service, when a public servant is charged in court, you are interdicted pending investigations.”
“If you are cleared, you’re re-instated and if you are not cleared, then, the law takes its course,” she added, noting that they aren’t aware of when the court will conclude the case involving Ssali.
The former NSSF Deputy Chief assumed the role of Permanent Secretary at the Trade Ministry in August 2021 taking over from Grace Choda, who was acting PS following the death of James Onen, then PS in full capacity.
In October 2023, Ssali was suspended by secretary to the treasury Ramathan Ggoobi on recommendations of a parliament inquiry into alleged acts of corruption.
Her successor, Kakooza had served at the Ministry of Education and Sports in the same capacity before July 2021 when he was transferred to his current role as Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to Vice President Jesca Alupo in the President’s Office.
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