New ministers Ayebare, Musherure and Witonze assume office
Ayebare took up the position of foreign affairs minister, Musherure is microfinance state minister, while Witonze took up the office of internal affairs state minister.
Adonia Ayebare, the new foreign affairs minister of Uganda. (PPU)
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Three newly sworn-in ministers; Adonia Ayebare, Shartsi Musherure and Juma Witonze, have officially assumed office.
Ayebare took up the position of foreign affairs minister, Musherure is microfinance state minister, while Witonze took up the office of internal affairs state minister.
The three ministers took their respective offices in Kampala on Wednesday (August 12). Ayebare and Musherure had delayed to assume office pending renunciation of their dual citizenship. The two held both Ugandans and American citizenship. Witonze on the other hand is a new appointee who replaced Prof. Lawrence Muganga after his (Muganga's appointment was questioned over having citizenship for three countries.
For the new foreign affairs minister, the event marked a transition from the acting leadership of Haruna Kasolo.
Kasolo, who is the state minister of foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation, assumed the role of acting full minister in late June this year as Ayebare’s appointment was still pending due to dual citizenship issues.
Ayebare, the 59-year-old career diplomat, has been Uganda’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.
A brief statement by the ministry on August 12 said Ayebare had begun a new chapter in the stewardship of Uganda’s foreign policy by assuming office as foreign affairs minister.
After taking oath as foreign affairs minister on Tuesday at State House, Entebbe, Ayebare thanked President Yoweri Museveni for entrusting him with “this important docket.”
“I look forward to embarking on diplomacy that delivers results for our people,” he said.
Before he was appointed a minister in May this year, Ayebare had since April last year been appointed as an ex-officio member of Cabinet.
Ayaebare now replaces Gen (rtd) Jeje Odongo, who was among the ministers President Yoweri Museveni dropped.
Witonze lists priorities
On the other hand, Witonze, who has been serving as the Patriotic League of Uganda coordinator for the Greater Mpigi region and the National Resistance Movement party vice-chairperson for Gomba district, assumed office of state minister internal affairs at a ceremony presided over by the senior minister of internal affairs, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu.
In his maiden address on August 12, Witonze emphasised the need for the ministry to become a service-centred institution ensuring that all citizens of Uganda can access government services efficiently, equitably and with dignity.
Musherure’s pledges
On her part, Musherure took over office from Kasolo, who was moved to foreign affairs as a state minister. The event took place during a top management meeting of the ministry of finance chaired by the minister of finance, Henry Musasizi.
A statement from the ministry said Musherure pledged to build on Kasolo’s achievements, with a focus on stronger regulation, affordable credit, savings and increased financial inclusion for women, youth, farmers and small businesses.
“The new chapter is clear: consolidate the gains, strengthen accountability and ensure that microfinance puts more money, opportunity and economic power in the hands of ordinary Ugandans,” she said.
According to the ministry, during his tenure, Kasolo oversaw significant growth and reforms in the microfinance sector.
It said the number of licensed Tier IV institutions and moneylenders increased from 901 to 1,809, while financial inclusion rose to 81% and formal financial inclusion to 84%.
Kasolo noted that access to affordable finance expanded significantly. He said through the Microfinance Support Centre, 7.6 million beneficiaries accessed affordable credit, sh539 billion was mobilised in savings, and 2,502 projects were financed, with about 70% of the financing supporting agricultural value chains.
He further highlighted the impact of government programmes such as Emyooga, which grew to 7,148 Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) with 2.48 million members, while the Parish Development Model was capitalised at sh3.78 trillion, benefiting more than 3.6 million households.