Adhola king slashes cabinet by half in sweeping overhaul

The leader of the Jopadhola community, Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor, has carried out a major cabinet reshuffle, reducing the number of ministers from 36 to 17 in what is described as a first-ever reorganisation move intended to create more influence and motivate those appointed to work hard.

Announcing the new cabinet on Tuesday (April 7) at his home on Yona Okoth Road in Tororo Municipality, Owor said that initially, he had appointed a large cabinet that worked on a voluntary basis.

Now that the government has started supporting the institution, it was necessary to appoint a more manageable team.

"In line with Article 28 of the Tieng Adhola constitution as amended in 2023, I have decided to reorganise the cabinet in a major shake-up where a number of ministers have been redesignated to hold other portfolios, including senior royal advisors and special envoy to different places," Owor said.

Owor said it would be appreciated that initially a large cabinet was necessary to promote, popularise and make the institution known across the broader Padhola community.

He added that this objective has largely been achieved and that it has now become imperative to establish a leaner cabinet that can work more effectively with a cross-section of royal advisors to achieve the broader objectives of Tieng Adhola.

"It's in the above spirit that a 17-man cabinet has been reorganised and appointed with more responsibilities to steer the institution. The title of deputy prime ministers previously given to several ministers was initially intended to create more influence and motivate those appointed to work hard. This notion has equally been achieved, and therefore the new cabinet will have only the prime minister, four deputy prime ministers and 12 ministers," he noted.

He said the number of senior royal advisors has been increased from 22 to 34 to help the institution ensure that its eminent sons and daughters offer guidance to those in mainstream leadership for improved efficiency. He added that cabinet oversight will now consist of seven members.

Those reappointed include Richard Jose Obbo as prime minister, Jag Adrian Owor as first deputy prime minister and minister of cooperation with government and NGOs, Anna Rose Okongo Ndekezi as second deputy prime minister and minister for finance, planning and development, Amon Ofwono Adeka as third deputy prime minister and minister for lands and dispute resolution

Others are Silversters Oboth as minister for cabinet affairs and secretary general to the cabinet, Joseph Odongo as minister for palace affairs and principal private secretary to Kwar Adhola, and David Asyep as minister of information, guidance and publicity, among others.