Kampala, Uganda: As President Museveni’s newly appointed Cabinet settles into office after Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, questions continue to linger over the fate of four ministerial appointees who remain sidelined by a legal controversy surrounding dual and multiple citizenship.
The four affected appointees include Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who was designated Minister of Foreign Affairs; Calvin Echodu, designated Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs); Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Microfinance); and Dr Lawrence Muganga, designated Minister of State for Internal Affairs, were all absent from the oath-taking ceremony after concerns emerged regarding their eligibility to serve in Cabinet under Uganda’s citizenship laws.
Their future now rests on President Museveni’s decision after receiving an advisory report from the Ministry of Public Service on whether individuals holding dual or multiple citizenship can legally occupy ministerial positions.
As government business begins under the new Cabinet, pressure is mounting from Ugandans, especially in the diaspora, who argue that excluding the four appointees would deny the country valuable international experience and weaken diaspora representation in government.
In a letter dated June 9 and addressed to President Museveni, leaders of the Confederation of Uganda Diaspora Associations Limited appealed to the Head of State to confirm the appointments, describing the move as critical for strengthening engagement between government and millions of Ugandans living abroad.
“Their presence in government means that Diaspora perspectives will be part of national policy formulation and priority-setting, ensuring that millions of Ugandan citizens living and contributing from outside the country are not overlooked in the decisions that shape our shared future,” the diaspora leaders wrote.
The leaders argued that the President’s decision to appoint individuals with significant international exposure had been warmly received by Ugandan communities across the globe.
“Your Excellency’s decision to appoint distinguished members of the Diaspora to senior ministerial office is a moment of great significance to Ugandans abroad and a clear signal that the Diaspora is a valued stakeholder in the service of our nation,” the letter added.
Their four ministerial appointments have attracted significant public interest due to their extensive international backgrounds and professional experience gained outside Uganda. However, the matter has exposed a legal grey area regarding the eligibility of dual citizens to hold certain public offices.
While Uganda’s Constitution permits dual citizenship, Article 15(7) empowers Parliament to restrict holders of dual nationality from occupying specified public positions.
The Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Amendment) Act, 2009, lists a number of sensitive offices that dual citizens may not hold. The Fifth Schedule of the law specifically includes Cabinet Ministers and other ministerial positions among the offices restricted to sole Ugandan citizens.
The controversy has therefore left the four appointees in limbo as lawyers, government officials and political observers await guidance from the Ministry of Public Service and a final decision from the President.
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.
