Entebbe, Uganda: Eighty (80) cabinet and state ministers are expected to take the oath of office before President Yoweri Museveni at State House, Entebbe, today, Monday, June 08, officially commencing the work of the new administration following the President’s Cabinet appointments for the 2026–2031 term.
The swearing-in ceremony follows the announcement of Museveni’s new Cabinet on May 26, which retained Vice President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja while introducing a number of new faces and portfolio changes across government.
However, two names that have attracted particular attention ahead of the ceremony are those of First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni and Victoria University Vice Chancellor, Dr Lawrence Muganga, both of whom are excluded from the list of ministers taking the oath this morning at State House.
Janet Museveni’s Absence Raises Questions
The absence of the First Lady, who has served as Minister of Education and Sports since 2016, comes amid continued public interest regarding her future role in government.
Although President Museveni announced a new Cabinet line-up and retained Janet for her Education Ministry role, the First Lady has maintained a relatively low public profile in recent months compared to previous years, with fewer public appearances and official engagements.
Neither the State House nor government officials have publicly commented on her whereabouts, but unofficial sources suggest the First Lady, whose last public appearance dates back to March 21, 2026, during a fundraising event for a science block at Seeta College, Mukono, is reportedly unwell and out of the country for medical treatment.
The last post on her account on X (@JanetMuseveni) dates back to April 30, when she re-shared a post from Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO), an organisation she founded in 1986 to aid children left parentless by the civil war in the Luweero Triangle and the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Since then, the First Lady has neither appeared in public nor posted on any of her social media platforms. On May 12, during the swearing-in of President Museveni, for his 7th elective term in office, Ms Museveni did not show up at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds and was represented by their daughter, Mrs Natasha Karugire Museveni.
At the same function (swearing-in), Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa, the Dean of the Province of the Church of Uganda, who is also the Bishop of Ankole Diocese, who offered a prayer for the First Lady’s health. “We thank you [God] for the health and recovery of the First Lady, Mama Janet Museveni,” he said.
Muganga’s Ministerial Bid Remains in Limbo
The second absence on the list of those swearing in is Dr Lawrence Muganga, whose controversy stems from a completely different set of circumstances.
Muganga, who had been nominated for appointment as State Minister for Internal Affairs, became the centre of one of the most contentious vetting processes conducted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
His approval was deferred following questions regarding his citizenship status and compliance with legal requirements governing holders of sensitive public offices. The committee’s scrutiny came after concerns were raised about his previous acquisition of Canadian citizenship and allegations that he may have held additional citizenship affiliations.
During and after the vetting process, Muganga maintained that he is Ugandan and accused some members of the committee of unfairly targeting him.
The controversy deepened after Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa revealed that the committee had encountered several nominees with dual citizenship issues but had cleared those who provided evidence that they had renounced their foreign citizenship.
Muganga later alleged that he had been subjected to discriminatory treatment and suggested that the debate had shifted from legal questions to issues of identity.
His supporters have argued that the law should be applied uniformly to all nominees, while critics insist that eligibility requirements for sensitive government positions must be strictly enforced.
As a result of the unresolved questions, Muganga’s nomination remains pending, and he was sadly not included among the ministers being sworn in today at State House, Entebbe.
Cabinet Takes Shape
The swearing-in ceremony is expected to formally open the work of Museveni’s new “Kisanja No More Sleep” team as government begins implementation of its priorities for the next five years.
The ministers taking the oath will immediately assume their duties, with several already outlining ambitious plans in sectors ranging from health and education to local government, public service and foreign affairs.
Among the key areas expected to dominate the administration’s agenda are wealth creation, industrialisation, digital transformation, infrastructure development, export promotion, job creation and implementation of the Parish Development Model.
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