Has the west really taken a lion's share of the cabinet?

Mar 05, 2015

The analysis by one of Uganda’s dailies about the weekend’s cabinet reshuffle has stated that senior ministerial positions have gone to individuals from western region.



By Angella Abushedde

The analysis by one of Uganda’s dailies about the weekend’s cabinet reshuffle has stated that senior ministerial positions have gone to individuals from western region and other regions ‘sidelined’.

Although the statistics tabled indeed show that 20 out of the 30 senior positions have been occupied by people from the west we need to ask ourselves how west, is the cabinet and whose interest they will be serving.

According to our constitution, the function of cabinet is to determine, formulate and implement government decisions and other functions as may be provided by law. Therefore, ministers in Uganda are not tribal chiefs, but rather people chosen to serve all citizens of Uganda regardless of regions of origin.

For example, there have been tremendous achievements in the road construction in the ministry for works and transport during Hon. Abraham Byandala’s reign. Although he is from Luweero, we have not seen Luweero take up all the road developments in the country. In fact Luweero does not have the best roads in this country. Another example is Jessica Alupo. We have not seen her set up the best government schools in Katakwi district because she is the education minister. The best performing schools according to results released this year still remain in the central region.

There are standard procedures in government (executive and parliament) in accordance to our laws for policy and budget approvals regarding every sector, which are followed. So whether a minister comes from the western or eastern region for that matter it does not mean that they will take the best services to their home areas. If a minister chooses to be narrow minded and only propose interests that serve his or her region, there is no way the government machinery can fail to stop selfish interests.

While it is true that ethnicity may influence the President’s selection for ministerial posts, it is important to know that factors such as loyalty to the NRM party and the president, political support and competence of the candidate and balancing other diversities are more critical. If the President or the NRM party members in a certain region were not elected to parliament, the president may find it difficult to pick politically appropriate and suitable persons to cabinet.

When former Otuke County MP, Omara Otubo and former Samia Bungwe North MP Aggrey Siryoyi Awori stood in 2011 they were not voted back to parliament by their own people. This could have partly contributed to the small number of people the President had to choose from for the ministerial posts.

Therefore, the President might not be the one to blame for the northern region having only two senior ministers (second Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali and minister for disaster preparedness Hilary Onek).

It is also important to remember that only five new people have been brought to the cabinet. The reshuffle has seen deputies promoted to full cabinet positions for example Matia Kasaija while others have been transferred to new ministries, for example Mary Karooro Okurut, who has been transferred to security. Perhaps the president has seen the hard work that has been done by the deputies and he has, therefore, promoted.

Besides, the constitution does not outline the criteria the President should follow when appointing ministers. If he chooses people basing on loyalty to him or the NRM party, expertise and religion he was exercising his constitutional right to appoint, transfer and remove ministers.

There is simply no way the President would choose people that cannot deliver services to Ugandans to occupy those positions.

The writer is a public relations practitioner
 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});