Dunstan Balaba, who has been the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Buikwe district, has assumed office as the new permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

President Yoweri Museveni appointed him recently to replace Keith Muhakanizi, who died of cancer in April 2023 aged 64.

Balaba, a long-serving CAO, called for collaboration, team spirit and re-building of the OPM image, according to Charles Odongtho, the OPM spokesperson.

Odongtho said on Monday that Balaba took over from Rose Alenga, who has been the acting permanent secretary since the death of Muhakanizi, during a senior technical staff meeting held in the morning.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said in September 2023 that the OPM would be restructured to make supervision and monitoring easier.

The OPM has been hit by various corruption scandals in recent years, with the latest being the diversion of iron sheets and other supplies meant for Karamoja sub-region to support the ongoing disarmament exercise to non-intended beneficiaries.

It is a mega ministry which not only houses the prime minister who is head of government business but also the Government Chief Whip, a minister for General Duties and a number of ministries.

The Prime Minister has deputy Prime Ministers, who are usually three and the ministries under the OPM, some headed by senior ministers and others by junior ministers are: Disaster Preparedness and Refugees (two ministers), Karamoja Affairs (two ministers), Northern Uganda Affairs, Luweero Triangle-Rwenzori Affairs, Teso Affairs, and Bunyoro Affairs.

It emerged during the funeral service of Muhakanizi that he had proposed to restructure OPM following the numerous scandals. This was revealed by the head of the Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe at the ceremony that was held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala.

She said Muhakanizi was concerned that the ministers were everywhere—in the stores, procurement, accounts, and Human Resources of the office. 

Nakyobe said that the late warned the ministers that this would bring them problems. The ministers who have so far been charged with several offences including corruption, are; the minister for Karamoja affairs, Mary Goretti Kitutu, the state minister for Karamoja affairs, Agnes Nandutu and the state minister for finance in charge of planning, Amos Lugoloobi.