The Parliamentary Appointments Committee has rejected the appointment of Prof. Lawrence Muganga as State Minister for Internal Affairs, with concerns over his dual citizenship emerging as the decisive factor during his vetting.
The committee revealed that Muganga, who holds both Ugandan and Canadian citizenship, pledged to renounce his Canadian citizenship if approved for the ministerial position.
However, a majority of committee members remained unconvinced that the commitment was sufficient to satisfy constitutional and legal requirements governing eligibility for certain public offices.
The development makes Muganga the only nominee among a group of dual citizens vetted by the committee to be rejected.
During the closed-door vetting sessions, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, and businessman and entrepreneur Calvin Echodu also faced questions regarding their dual citizenship status.
Ayebare, who was recently appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs), acknowledged holding both Ugandan and American citizenship and reportedly assured the committee that he would renounce his foreign citizenship in compliance with the law.
Similarly, Echodu, who was nominated for the position of State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, informed legislators that he would relinquish his American citizenship should his appointment be confirmed.
Several members of the committee expressed reservations about the assurances given by the nominees, the committee leadership and presiding officers strongly defended their nominations, arguing that the appointees had demonstrated willingness to comply with the legal requirements.
Following deliberations, Ayebare and Echodu secured majority support and were approved for appointment, while Muganga failed to garner enough votes to win the committee’s endorsement.
The rejection is likely to hype the debate over the eligibility of dual citizens to occupy certain public offices in Uganda, a matter that has generated legal and political controversy for years.
Muganga, an educationist and university administrator, was nominated to serve as State Minister for Internal Affairs as part of President Yoweri Museveni’s latest Cabinet reshuffle. He currently serves as the Vice Chancellor of Victoria University and is widely known for his advocacy of education reforms and digital transformation in higher learning institutions.
The decision by the Appointments Committee now leaves uncertainty over who will ultimately fill the State Minister for Internal Affairs position, as Parliament prepares to conclude scrutiny of the President’s latest ministerial appointments.
The approvals of Ayebare and Echodu, meanwhile, clear the way for their formal swearing-in and assumption of duties, pending the completion of the remaining constitutional processes.
The question is now on constitutional provisions governing dual citizenship and public office whether nominees should first renounce their foreign citizenship before appointment or whether a commitment to do so is sufficient during the vetting process.
