Museveni delays approval of new ministers

The newly appointed ministers will have to wait until next month when parliament reconvenes after the Christmas holidays, for them to be approved by parliament.

According to the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, by the time Parliament broke off for recess on Thursday, President Yoweri Museveni, the appointing authority had not written to the House, about the new appointees despite their appointment a week ago.

"I don't have any letter from the president until they write to me, I will not invite anybody for vetting so we are going for Christmas without any letter informing me about the new ministers, for vetting," Kadaga told Journalists at Parliament.

Last week, the president reshuffled his cabinet, which saw four senior ministers including Irene Muloni (Energy), Janat Mukwaya (Gender, labor, and social development), Haji Adul Naduli (without portfolio) and Monica Azuba (works and transport dropped from cabinet.

In the reshuffle, the president appointed nine new ministers such as Jackson Kafuuzi as the new deputy attorney general, Judith Nabakooba as minister for Information Communication Technology (ICT), Raphael Magyezi, minister for Local government and Hamson Obua, for sports among others.

The Parliament's appointments committee is by law required to vet and approve ministers among other appointees as appointed by the president.

Kadaga the chairperson of the appointments committee, who was on Friday briefing the media about business transacted by the House, during the year 2019, however, noted the need to have the vetting committee open to the public for transparency.

"I don't like vetting in camera; I have tried to amend rules of procedures to have open vetting in vain. However, the challenge with open vetting is that when people don't go through they think that I don't like them", Kadaga said.

The vetting process is according to the Parliamentary rules of procedure, a closed-door meeting only open to the committee members. 

Bills

In her address to the media, about the 2019 House business, Kadaga commended the MPs for a job well done saying the House was able to handle over 22 Bills.

Citing Bills like the landlord and Tenants Bill, which have been passed by the House but not assented to by the President, Kadaga said the House would go ahead and have the laws gazetted should the president fail to assent to them.