Three minister designates including Adonia Ayebare for Foreign Affairs Minister, State Minister for Microfinance Sharsti Kutesa Musherure. and State Minister-designate for Internal Affairs Juma Witonze Kisekka, have finally been sworn in as ministers at Statehouse Entebbe.
President Museveni made the revelation through his X account, noting that he urged the trio to focus on eliminating corruption and inefficiency in Government through proper supervision and accountability.
“I congratulate them and urge them to 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. Ultimately, the East African Federation remains the long-term solution to questions of identity and integration in our region” he said.
Ayebare and Kutesa’s swearing in comes weeks after the parliamentary appointments committee, committee rejected their nomination for the positions over their holding dual citizenship.
The new state minister for internal affairs Juma Witonze Kisekka, was recently nominated for the position by President Museveni, replacing Victoria University’s Dr. Lawrence Muganga, who failed to secure approval from Parliament’s Appointments Committee, over multiple citizenship.
With the trio now sworn in, only the State Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs) Calvin Echodu, remains to be sworn in after he allegedly dropped his U.S Citizenship.
According to sources, his swearing in ceremony will be rescheduled for another time.
While Uganda permits dual citizenship, Article 15(7) of the Constitution empowers Parliament to restrict holders of dual nationality from occupying certain public offices.
The Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Amendment) Act of 2009 lists several sensitive state positions that dual citizens may not hold, with the Fifth Schedule to the Act explicitly citing the offices of “Cabinet Minister and other Ministers”.
