On Tuesday evening, President Museveni announced his new cabinet list of ministers throwing many Ugandans into surprise with peculiar and unexpected appointments in top government positions.
We take an in-depth look at the new faces appointed in the cabinet released.
Jessica Alupo
Born 47 years ago in Katakwi district, the retired teacher served in the Ugandan army and rose up to the rank of Major.
She served as an instructor at the Uganda Urban Warfare Training School, Ssingo in Nakaseke district as well as an intelligence officer at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, the intelligence arm of the UPDF.
Between 2001 and 2011, Alupo represented Katakwi district in parliament and was appointed State Minister for Youth and Children affairs in 2009.
She is mostly remembered for being appointed the Education and Sports Minister in 2011 to replace the elderly Namirembe Bitamazire but after losing her Katakwi Woman MP seat in 2016, Alupo was dropped as Minister.
Having returned to parliament during the 2021 election, Alupo has been appointed the new Vice President.
She becomes the first female Vice President since the tenure of Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe who served between 1994 and 2003.
Rebecca Kadaga
The Kamuli Woman MP who last month lost the position of Speaker of Parliament to her former deputy, Jacob Oulanyah was on Tuesday named the new first deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community affairs.
The Makerere University graduate has since 1989 represented Kamuli district as the Woman MP and for 20 years, she has served as either deputy speaker or speaker of parliament.
During the run-up to the Speakership elections, Kadaga, who is regarded as power broker in Busoga was tipped to take up the Vice President position in the new cabinet but she publicly derided it saying it is not in a decision-making position.
“Those who are proposing that I become the Vice President let that position be given to others. Being a Vice President, you deputise another person,” Kadaga said.
She has previously served in Museveni’s government as as State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Communication, Aviation as well as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
It remains to be seen whether she will accept the first deputy Prime Minister position which is way below the Vice President job that she earlier rejected.
Justine Kasule Lumumba
Prior to the appointment, Lumumba had been serving as the ruling NRM Secretary General for almost seven years since 2014 when she replaced John Patrick Amama Mbabazi.
Lumumba had earlier between 2001 and 2014 when she resigned the position been representing Bugiri district in parliament.
She also previously as the Chief Government Whip between 2011 and 2014 from where she was appointed NRM Secretary General.
Gen David Muhoozi
The Chief of Defence Forces in the UPDF was named as the new State Minister for Internal Affairs by President Museveni to replace Mario Kania Obiga who has served in the position for five years.
Gen Muhoozi, who joined the army in 1985 served as a defence counsel at the General Court Martial in Makindye before being transferred to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), as Staff Officer General Duties, serving in that role for four years.
Over the years, he has served as a UPDF Air base commander at Entebbe, Chief of Staff UPDAF, Commander of the Air Defense Division in Nakasongola and the commander of the Armored Brigade in Masaka.
In 2017, Muhoozi who was then the Commander Land Forces and at the rank of Major General in the UPDF was promoted to the rank of General and appointed Chief of Defence Forces to replace Gen Edward Katumba Wamala.
Joyce Ssebuggwawo
The former Lubaga Division mayor and opposition Forum for Democratic Change strongwoman was one of the surprises in the new cabinet list released by President Museveni on Tuesday.
She was named the new Minister of State for Information and National Guidance.
Others
President Museveni also named Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa the new Chief Government Whip whereas lawyer, Kiryowa Kiwanuka has been appointed the new Attorney General.
Kiwanuka has recently served as a personal lawyer to President Museveni and has represented him in many matters in court, including the just concluded 2021 election poll petition filed but later withdrawn by National Unity Platform’s Robert Kyagulanyi.
The president also appointed former NTV journalist, Agness Nandutu who was recently elected Bududa District Woman MP as the new State Minister in charge of Karamoja affairs whereas West Budama County South MP, Jacob Oboth Oboth is the new Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs.
Others are Amos Lugoloobi, the new Minister of State for Finance Planning and Economic Development in charge of planning whereas Dr Ongalo Obote is the Minister of State for Teso Affairs.
