President Museveni has sworn in three newly appointed ministers, Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, Adonia Ayebare and Juma Witonze, completing their appointments to Cabinet.
The three took their oaths of office on Tuesday at State House Entebbe.
Musherure was sworn in as Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Microfinance, Ayebare as Minister of Foreign Affairs, while Witonze took oath as Minister of State for Internal Affairs.
Their swearing-in follows delays arising from citizenship questions and parliamentary vetting.
Ayebare and Musherure had been unable to take their oaths alongside other Cabinet members after questions were raised over their U.S. citizenship. Their appointment was cleared after they completed the process of renouncing their U.S. citizenship.
Witonze’s appointment followed a different process after President Museveni nominated him as State Minister for Internal Affairs following Parliament’s Appointments Committee’s rejection of Dr Lawrence Muganga’s candidature over citizenship concerns.
During the ceremony, Museveni congratulated the three ministers and urged them to prioritise the fight against corruption and inefficiency in Government through stronger supervision and accountability.
“I congratulate them and urge them to focus on eliminating corruption and inefficiency in Government through proper supervision and accountability,” Museveni said.
The President also addressed concerns surrounding dual citizenship, saying the policy was introduced to respond to Uganda’s historical circumstances but stressing that citizens holding dual nationality must be clear about their allegiance.
“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.
Museveni said regional integration under the proposed East African Federation would ultimately provide a broader solution to 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 brings the three ministers formally into office as the Government begins implementing its new policy priorities under the latest Cabinet appointments.
