Kampala, Uganda: Veteran politician Matia Kasaija officially handed over the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to Henry Musasizi, bringing to a close a tenure that saw him become one of the longest-serving and most recognisable faces of Uganda’s economic management.
The handover ceremony took place on Friday at the Finance Ministry headquarters in Kampala, days after President Museveni appointed Musasizi to lead the powerful ministry in his new Cabinet.
Kasaija, 82, leaves the Treasury after serving as Finance Minister since March 2015, having previously served as State Minister for Finance (Planning) from 2011. His departure marks the end of more than 15 years in the ministry’s top political leadership.
During the ceremony, Kasaija said he had enjoyed serving at the ministry and urged the new political leadership to work closely with technocrats to sustain Uganda’s economic progress. “I have enjoyed working at the Ministry of Finance. The economy is growing, and nobody or anything should be allowed to disrupt this steady growth.”
His tenure oversaw major infrastructure financing programmes, economic recovery efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic, tax reforms, and sustained economic expansion despite regional and global shocks.
Musasizi Takes Over
Musasizi assumes office after serving as Minister of State for Finance (General Duties) since 2021 and previously chairing Parliament’s Finance Committee, where he played a key role in budget scrutiny and fiscal policy oversight.
Thanking Kasaija for his stewardship, Musasizi praised his predecessor for laying a strong foundation for the ministry’s work. “You laid a firm foundation upon which the Ministry has been able to achieve its development objectives and remain effective.”
Musasizi called upon fellow ministers and ministry staff to work together in supporting President Museveni’s vision of accelerating Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
New Political Team
The ceremony also saw Musasizi hand over the Office of State Minister for General Duties to newly appointed minister Cissy Mulondo. Also present were State Minister for Planning Amos Lugoloobi, who retained his portfolio in the new Cabinet, and State Minister for Investment and Privatisation Amina Mukalazi, who recently assumed office.
Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi paid tribute to Kasaija’s leadership, describing him as a steady political leader who helped maintain harmony within the ministry.
“You have been a good ambassador of the Ministry,” Dr. Ggoobi said. He also congratulated Musasizi and the incoming ministers, pledging the full support of the ministry’s technical team.
Kasaija’s exit from the Finance Ministry was among the most notable changes in President Museveni’s recent Cabinet reshuffle, which elevated Musasizi from junior minister to head of Uganda’s economic management team.
Known for his humour and memorable public remarks, Kasaija earned a reputation as one of the government’s most visible ministers while steering fiscal policy during a period marked by infrastructure expansion, rising public debt, economic reforms and post-pandemic recovery efforts.
Musasizi now takes charge of the ministry at a time when government is targeting double-digit economic growth, boosted by oil production, increased domestic revenue mobilisation and implementation of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
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