President Yoweri Museveni’s new Cabinet has entered another dramatic phase after changes to three key ministerial positions following weeks of scrutiny over citizenship and parliamentary approval.
The latest developments centre on Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, Shartsi Kutesa Musherure and Juma Witonze Kisekka, as Museveni works to complete his 2026–2031 government team.
Ayebare is set to take charge of the Foreign Affairs docket, while Musherure is expected to serve as State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Microfinance. Both had initially missed the June Cabinet swearing-in ceremony after questions were raised over their foreign citizenship.
The two later reportedly completed the process of renouncing their United States citizenship, clearing a major hurdle that had delayed their assumption of office. President Museveni subsequently directed officials to prepare for their swearing-in.
The Internal Affairs docket, meanwhile, has taken a different turn.
Museveni appointed Juma Witonze Kisekka as State Minister for Internal Affairs after Dr Lawrence Muganga’s nomination failed to secure parliamentary approval amid questions surrounding his citizenship status.
Witonze, a diplomat and politician associated with the Patriotic League of Uganda in the Greater Mpigi region, has also previously expressed interest in representing Uganda in the East African Legislative Assembly.
His appointment effectively changes the earlier Cabinet arrangement announced in May, when Muganga had been designated for the Internal Affairs position.
The shake-up comes after a tense June swearing-in ceremony at State House Entebbe, where the majority of Museveni’s newly appointed ministers took their oaths.
Four nominees — Ayebare, Musherure, Calvin Echodu and Muganga — were absent from that ceremony as government officials considered questions surrounding their citizenship status and eligibility for ministerial office.
The citizenship issue became one of the biggest talking points surrounding the formation of the new Cabinet, with Parliament’s Appointments Committee demanding clarification from several nominees.
Museveni’s administration has since moved to resolve the affected positions, with Ayebare and Musherure advancing toward formal assumption of office while Witonze has emerged as the replacement for Muganga.
The developments give the new administration a fresh set of faces in sensitive areas including diplomacy, microfinance and internal affairs — portfolios expected to play a major role in the government’s agenda for the next five years.