Kampala, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is reportedly preparing a fresh reshuffle of Permanent Secretaries as part of a broader effort to align the public service with the priorities of his newly appointed Cabinet.
Highly placed government sources indicate that the President has shifted his focus to the technocrats who oversee ministries, departments and agencies, with performance assessments expected to play a major role in determining who remains in office, who is redeployed and who could be assigned to more strategic positions.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, the anticipated changes are intended to strengthen the implementation of government programmes and improve service delivery across key sectors of the economy.
The expected shake-up comes days after President Museveni unveiled a new Cabinet and is widely seen as the next phase in reorganising government ahead of the implementation of priorities under the new administration.
According to exclusive sources, Museveni has repeatedly expressed concern about gaps between policy formulation and implementation, arguing that government programmes must produce measurable results for citizens.
As a result, performance is expected to be one of the key considerations in the anticipated redeployments.
“The President has already put his political team in place. The next step is ensuring that the technical leadership of government is aligned with the targets of the new term,” a senior government official familiar with the discussions said.
Sources further indicate that some Permanent Secretaries could be dropped altogether, while others may be transferred to different ministries depending on their track record and areas of expertise.
The anticipated reshuffle is expected to focus on implementation of flagship government programmes including the Parish Development Model (PDM), wealth creation initiatives, industrialisation, export promotion, infrastructure development, digital transformation and domestic revenue mobilisation.
Officials say sectors likely to receive particular attention include health, education, agriculture, ICT, energy, transport, trade and local government.
These sectors are considered central to government’s economic transformation agenda and are expected to play a critical role in delivering jobs, increasing household incomes and supporting industrial growth.
New Term, New Targets
The expected changes reflect Museveni’s desire to have a public service leadership team capable of translating policy directives into tangible outcomes.
Observers note that while Cabinet ministers provide political leadership, Permanent Secretaries serve as accounting officers and chief administrators responsible for implementation of government programmes and management of public resources.
As government embarks on a new term, attention is increasingly shifting toward whether ministries and agencies can accelerate delivery of key national priorities and meet targets outlined under the National Development Plan.
Although the President has not publicly commented on the expected reshuffle, sources say discussions are ongoing and announcements could be made in the coming weeks.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
