Kampala, Uganda: President Museveni has appointed Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Greater Mpigi Coordinator Juma Witonze Kisekka as the new State Minister for Internal Affairs, replacing Dr. Lawrence Muganga, whose ministerial nomination failed to secure parliamentary approval over multiple citizenship concerns.
Witonze’s appointment fills one of the few remaining vacancies in President Museveni’s 2026–2031 Cabinet following weeks of consultations after Parliament’s Appointments Committee declined to approve Muganga for the sensitive Internal Affairs docket because of unresolved questions surrounding his citizenship status.
A diplomat and politician, Witonze currently serves as the Chief Coordinator of the Patriotic League of Uganda in Greater Mpigi and has previously contested for a seat in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
State House sources say Witonze has distinguished himself through grassroots mobilization and sustained engagement on issues affecting sections of the Banyarwanda community, particularly complaints relating to delays in accessing national identity cards, passports and other citizenship documents.
Those concerns have featured prominently in discussions between President Museveni and leaders from the community in recent years, culminating in the President’s January 2025 directive instructing immigration authorities to ensure that all eligible Ugandan citizens are not denied passports or national identification documents because of their ethnicity.
If approved by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Witonze will deputize Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose mandate includes oversight of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Prisons Service, and other agencies responsible for internal security, citizenship and civil registration.
His appointment is also expected to strengthen the influence of the Patriotic League of Uganda, the civic organization associated with Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, within government.
Hon. Kisekka is expected to be sworn in before assuming his new duties.
More details about the appointment and the swearing-in ceremony are expected to follow.
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