Kiwanda, Bahati, Amongi and Janet Museveni named best ministers

(L-R) Ministers Godfrey Kiwanda, Betty Amongi and Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi were among those whose performance was commended.

At the beginning of the current term of office, President Yoweri Museveni declared that this would be Hakuna Muchezo and indicated that the cabinet he had appointed would lead Uganda to the middle income status.

As required by the constitution, President Museveni will on Tuesday be presenting the State of the Nation Address whose essence is to give accountability of what has happened in the last one year and highlight strategies for the next financial year.

Riding on this new momentum of aiming at outstanding performance, several ministers hit the ground running immediately after being sworn in.

A group of researchers calling themselves Hakuna Muchezo Evaluation Team have released their findings on the performance of the current ministers.

The group, led by former NRM youth leader Joseph Ssewava, released their results indicating that the best performing ministers include Frank Tumwebaze, Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, Ruhakana Rugunda, Janet Museveni and the youth minister Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi.

"The rest who are the majority are non-performers. They are not helping the President to actualize his Hakuna Muchezo agenda," Ssewava told New Vision. 

The group pointed out the Minister for Presidency, Mbayo Esther Mbulakubuza and the State Minister for Kampala, Benny Namugwanya, as the worst performers. 

David Bahati, State Minister of Finance for Planning, was also commended.

They commended Tumwebaze for lobbying more funds for his ICT and Information Ministry and for initiating the Government Citizens' Interaction Centre for the citizens to give their views on service delivery.

Asked why they had ranked the First Lady Janet Museveni among the best, Ssewava said; "She managed to control Makerere University and Uganda went to AFCON when she was the Minister for Education and Sports. She attends football matches which her predecessor Jessica Alupo wasn't doing."

On why Nakiwala was put on the list of the best performers, Ssewava said; "When she had just been appointed, we opposed her as NRM youth. But she has managed to guide and control the NRM Youth League and the National Youth Council. She keeps reaching out to the youth and she has managed to help many of them get start-up capital."

At the end of August last year, New Vision published a story about ministers who had hit the ground running and these included Kiwanda the State Minister for Tourism, the Minister for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki, Kamya, Janet Museveni and the State Minister for Primary Education, Rosemary Sseninde,

Kabafunzaki, who was recently relieved of his duties after getting entangled in corruption allegations, had captured the attention of the nation with his visits to various work stations especially factories to fight violation of the rights of workers.

Most of the MPs New Vision talked to last week mentioned Bahati, Kiwanda, Janet Museveni and Minister for Lands, Betty Amongi, among the best performing MPs.

Asked to comment about the other best performing ministers besides him, Bahati pointed out Janet Museveni and Among as some of the most outstanding performers.

Rukungiri Municipality MP, Roland Kaginda, who also doubles as the Deputy Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament, mentioned Bahati and Kiwanda as the best performing ministers.

"But generally speaking, majority of the ministers are non-performers whom I would sack if I were the President. Most of them don't attend Parliament plenary. Most of them don't supervise entities in their ministries. Most of them don't go out in the field to interface with Ugandans. All ministers that are doing well are state ministers. The senior ministers are dormant," Kaginda observed.

Last week on Thursday, Kiwanda was treated to a thunderous applause from fellow parliamentarians when Kira Municipality MP and Opposition Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, commended him on the floor of Parliament as the best performing minister.

According to the Pader woman MP Lowilla Oketayot, her best performing ministers have been the Minister for Health, Jane Ruth Aceng and the Minister for Trade and Industry, Amelia Kyambadde.

Makerere University economics lecturer Dr. Fred Muhumuza thinks Janet Museveni and Amongi, have been the best performers.

"Those two have gone out of the way to bring in new thinking in their ministries. What they have done is commendable," Muhumuza stated

He however defended the non-performing ministers arguing that there are many circumstances that cause them not to perform including the technical people in the ministries who fail their efforts.

"Having worked in government, I know that many such things fail ministers. Technical people can frustrate them. The technical team is usually the worst. They fail many of these ministers. If a minister is not assertive, they can successfully discourage him," he elaborated.

According to the Youth MP for the central region Sarah Babirye Kityo, the best performing ministers are Kiwanda, Bahati, Dr. JC Muyingo and the Minister for Luweero Triangle, Denis Galabuzi.   

"Overall, Kiwanda has been the most outstanding. He has promoted domestic tourism. He has sensitized Ugandans to attach value to tourism. He has aggressively promoted this sector which many of us never regarded important in the past," Kityo explained.

Bulamogi County MP Kenneth Lubogo, who also serves as the deputy chairman for the trade and industry committee, commended Sseninde, Kiwanda and Bahati as the best performing ministers.

Parliamentary commissioner and workers' MP Arinaitwe Rwakajara thinks Bahati and the Minister for Agriculture, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja are the best performing ministers.  

Western region youth MP, Mpaka Mwine, who is also the chairman of the Parliament Youth Forum, considers Godfrey Kiwanda, Betty Amongi and Janet Museveni to be the best performing ministers.

"I think all the ministers are performing well but are constrained by resources and the current economic situation. For instance, the Ministry for Veterans Affairs lacks funds to pay the veterans," Mwine stated.