President Museveni (center) has explained why he nominated Amama Mbabazi (left) and Edward Ssekandi (right) for the posts of Prime Minister and Vice President respectively.
By Tabu Butagira
President Museveni has reportedly decided to freeze naming of more new Cabinet ministers until Parliament constitutes the Appointments Committee to vet them.
The decision comes hours after Mr Museveni on Tuesday informed the NRM Caucus sitting at State House Entebbe that he has appointed former Parliament Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, and outgoing security minister, Amama Mbabazi, as the next Vice President and Prime Minister, respectively.
Mr Sekandi, the Bukoto East MP, is a “clean, trustworthy and consistent person,” the President is quoted as saying.
Mr Museveni says Mr Mbabazi’s strength includes being NRM’s “most ideologically reliable cadre; discipline and vast legal knowledge”.
The outgoing Security Minister is a lawyer and concurrently served as the Attorney General when the incumbent, Francis Ayume, perished in an accident in May 2005.
The President also credits Mr Mbabazi for being loyal and never deviating from NRM ideologies, according to State House.
The two top appointees will, however, have to be vetted by the House Appointments Committee like their other ministerial nominees before taking on the new assignments.
A source attending the Caucus meeting says President Museveni, while responding to an enquiry by Dokolo MP Felix Okot Ogong, indicates Mr Mbabazi will not simultaneously remain Secretary-general of NRM.
As we reported in the past hour, State House now confirms that Mr Mbabazi has announced he is going to relinquish the SG job.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Ms Lindah Nabusayi, says in a statement that the nominations of Mr Ssekandi and Mr Mbabazi received “overwhelming” approval by Caucus members.
With NRM holding a commanding majority in the 375-strong 9th Parliament, Tuesday’s endorsement at State House Entebbe may signal that the duo will probably have an easy sail through the House Appointments Committee most of whose members the President has announced.
They include MPs; Me Patrick Nakabale, Ms Sofia Nalule, Mr Mathias Kasamba, Ms Rose Najjemba, Mr Muwuma Milton, Mr Saleh Kamba, Ms Christine Aporu, Mr Alepa Peter, Mr Hood Katuramu, Mr Fred Omach and Ms Rebecca Otengo.
Others are Ms Victoria Rusoke, Mr Kasirivu Atwooki, Ms Paula Turyahikayo and UPDF representative, Gen. Elly Tumwine.
House Speaker Rebecca Kadaga chairs the Parliament’s Appointment’s Committee while her Deputy Jacob Oulanya and the yet-to-be named Leader of Opposition are other constitutional members.
Mr Museveni is also asking the MPs who subscribe to NRM to approve creation of new ministries to “increase service delivery, create regional balance and for proper supervision of each sector”.
The proposed ministries include that for Bunyoro Affairs, another for Teso Affairs and the carving out of the Attorney General portfolio as a separate Cabinet post from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs with which it is presently merged.
It would appear the NRM Caucus is already serving as the de facto 9th Parliament with their agreed partisan decisions – such as Ms Kadaga’s Speaker and Mr Oulanya’s Deputy Speaker jobs - pushed through the August House courtesy of the ruling party’s numerical strength.
The 8th Parliament already approved a resolution for creation of a new Oil and Petroleum ministry.
The decision comes hours after Mr Museveni on Tuesday informed the NRM Caucus sitting at State House Entebbe that he has appointed former Parliament Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, and outgoing security minister, Amama Mbabazi, as the next Vice President and Prime Minister, respectively.
Mr Sekandi, the Bukoto East MP, is a “clean, trustworthy and consistent person,” the President is quoted as saying.
Mr Museveni says Mr Mbabazi’s strength includes being NRM’s “most ideologically reliable cadre; discipline and vast legal knowledge”.
The outgoing Security Minister is a lawyer and concurrently served as the Attorney General when the incumbent, Francis Ayume, perished in an accident in May 2005.
The President also credits Mr Mbabazi for being loyal and never deviating from NRM ideologies, according to State House.
The two top appointees will, however, have to be vetted by the House Appointments Committee like their other ministerial nominees before taking on the new assignments.
A source attending the Caucus meeting says President Museveni, while responding to an enquiry by Dokolo MP Felix Okot Ogong, indicates Mr Mbabazi will not simultaneously remain Secretary-general of NRM.
As we reported in the past hour, State House now confirms that Mr Mbabazi has announced he is going to relinquish the SG job.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Ms Lindah Nabusayi, says in a statement that the nominations of Mr Ssekandi and Mr Mbabazi received “overwhelming” approval by Caucus members.
With NRM holding a commanding majority in the 375-strong 9th Parliament, Tuesday’s endorsement at State House Entebbe may signal that the duo will probably have an easy sail through the House Appointments Committee most of whose members the President has announced.
They include MPs; Me Patrick Nakabale, Ms Sofia Nalule, Mr Mathias Kasamba, Ms Rose Najjemba, Mr Muwuma Milton, Mr Saleh Kamba, Ms Christine Aporu, Mr Alepa Peter, Mr Hood Katuramu, Mr Fred Omach and Ms Rebecca Otengo.
Others are Ms Victoria Rusoke, Mr Kasirivu Atwooki, Ms Paula Turyahikayo and UPDF representative, Gen. Elly Tumwine.
House Speaker Rebecca Kadaga chairs the Parliament’s Appointment’s Committee while her Deputy Jacob Oulanya and the yet-to-be named Leader of Opposition are other constitutional members.
Mr Museveni is also asking the MPs who subscribe to NRM to approve creation of new ministries to “increase service delivery, create regional balance and for proper supervision of each sector”.
The proposed ministries include that for Bunyoro Affairs, another for Teso Affairs and the carving out of the Attorney General portfolio as a separate Cabinet post from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs with which it is presently merged.
It would appear the NRM Caucus is already serving as the de facto 9th Parliament with their agreed partisan decisions – such as Ms Kadaga’s Speaker and Mr Oulanya’s Deputy Speaker jobs - pushed through the August House courtesy of the ruling party’s numerical strength.
The 8th Parliament already approved a resolution for creation of a new Oil and Petroleum ministry.
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