President Yoweri Museveni has presided over the swearing-in of three ministers after months of uncertainty surrounding some of the key appointments in his new Cabinet.
The three are Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who took oath as Minister of Foreign Affairs; Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, who was sworn in as Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Microfinance; and Juma Witonze Kisekka, who assumed office as Minister of State for Internal Affairs.
The ceremony was held on Tuesday at State House Entebbe, with President Museveni urging the new ministers to prioritise accountability, efficiency and the fight against corruption as they take up their responsibilities.
“Today, at State House Entebbe, I presided over the swearing-in of three Ministers: Amb. Adonia Ayebare, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Micro-Finance; and Juma Witonze, Minister of State for Internal Affairs,” Museveni said.
He congratulated the three ministers and challenged them to ensure that government institutions under their supervision deliver effectively to Ugandans.
“I congratulate them and urge them to focus on eliminating corruption and inefficiency in Government through proper supervision and accountability,”the President said.
The swearing-in marks the completion of a process that had been complicated by questions over the citizenship status of some of the ministerial nominees announced by Museveni in May.
Ayebare and Musherure were among four ministerial nominees who did not take the oath when the bulk of the new Cabinet was sworn in at the State House Entebbe on June 8.
The other two were David Calvin Echodu, who had been nominated as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of International Affairs, and Dr Lawrence Muganga, who had been nominated as Minister of State for Internal Affairs.
The four nominees were held back after questions emerged over their citizenship status. The Ministry of Internal Affairs had raised queries regarding possible dual citizenship, prompting the Presidency to seek further clarification before allowing them to assume ministerial office. Daily Monitor reported at the time that the citizenship status of the four had become a subject of scrutiny ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
During the June ceremony, Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe told the President that officials had met the affected nominees and prepared a brief for further guidance.
“Following your directive, I met the Solicitor General and the affected appointees over the weekend. And a brief has been made and handed over to the PPS for your further guidance,” Nakyobe said, according to contemporaneous reporting.
The Fifth Schedule to the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act restricts dual citizens from holding a number of specified public offices, including ministerial positions. This became the legal basis for the scrutiny surrounding the nominees.
Ayebare and Musherure subsequently cleared the hurdle after reportedly completing the process of renouncing their United States citizenship, paving the way for their eventual swearing-in. Reports in July indicated that the two had completed the necessary process and were awaiting a date for the ceremony.
The delay also affected the running of the Foreign Affairs docket. In June, Museveni appointed State Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation, Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs pending the resolution of the issues surrounding Ayebare’s appointment.
Museveni initially nominated Dr Lawrence Muganga, the Vice Chancellor of Victoria University, as State Minister for Internal Affairs. However, Muganga’s appointment stalled during parliamentary vetting after the Appointments Committee raised questions over his citizenship status.
Reports indicated that the committee relied on information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs suggesting that Muganga had links to Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan citizenship. Muganga disputed the concerns, but the committee declined to approve his appointment.
Museveni subsequently nominated Witonze to fill the vacant position. Parliament approved his appointment, clearing the way for Tuesday’s swearing-in.
Witonze, a diplomat and politician, has served as the Chief Coordinator of the Patriotic League of Uganda in the Greater Mpigi region and has previously been associated with efforts to secure a seat in the East African Legislative Assembly.
His appointment effectively closed the chapter on the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the Internal Affairs State Minister position after Muganga’s nomination failed to secure parliamentary approval.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, Museveni also returned to the broader question of dual citizenship and national allegiance.
The President said the decision to allow dual citizenship in Uganda was made against the background of the country’s difficult history but argued that citizens holding more than one nationality must ultimately be clear about where their primary loyalty lies.
“On dual citizenship, I stressed that while the arrangement was introduced to address Uganda’s difficult history, people must be clear about where their loyalty lies,”Museveni said.
He linked the issue to his long-standing vision of regional integration, saying the eventual creation of an East African Federation would provide a broader framework for questions surrounding identity and citizenship in the region.
“Ultimately, the East African Federation remains the long-term solution to questions of identity and integration in our region,”he said.
The swearing-in now leaves the three ministers formally in office as Museveni’s new administration begins implementing its agenda for the 2026–2031 term, with the President placing particular emphasis on supervision, accountability and eliminating inefficiency within government.
