Uganda's Museveni announces new cabinet: Is it bad timing?

As Ugandans were still planning to celebrate Stephen Kiprotich's home coming after he ran his way into an Olympic marathon gold medal in London and now millions of shillings, President Yoweri Museveni did not wait for Kiprotich's new found patriotic fame to sink. Museveni just announced a new cabinet reshuffle which is really a composition dominated by the same old guard save for the young Frank Tumwebaze who has made it to cabinet for the first time.

President Museveni (Getty photo)

So far the reaction to Museveni's announcement of new cabinet has been received with mixed reactions. Several elite Ugandans are angry that the new cabinet announcement was badly timed and could be meant to divert attention from the gold medalist, who has been seen as a uniting factor of all Ugandans irrespective of political affiliations; and of course the military chopper crash debacle.

Three Uganda Military, UPDF, helicopters crashed alost at the same time in the Mountain Kenya. The choppers were headed to Somalia under the UN mission. It has emerged that the crashed choppers, valued at $20 million, were not even insured. And the spokesman of Uganda's military Col. Felix Kulayigye said there might not be any compensation since the helicopters did not reach the area of mission much as the UN team had verified them and cleared them that they were air-worthy.

Below is a list of Museveni's new cabinet.The cabinet is still too big for a poor economy like Uganda which is still dependent foreign donations and with 30% of its 33 million people living in abject poverty.

P R E S S R E L E A S E

GOVERNMENT AS AT 15TH AUGUST, 2012

1. PRESIDENT & COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF - YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI

2. VICE PRESIDENT - EDWARD SEKANDI

3. Rt. Hon. Prime Minister - AMAMA MBABAZI

4. 1st Deputy Prime Minister & Minister in-Charge of East African Affairs - KATEGAYA ERIYA

5. 2nd Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Public Service - KAJURA HENRY

MUGANWA

6. 3rd Deputy Prime Minister & Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament - ALI MOSES

7. Minister of Security - MUKASA MURUULI WILSON

8. Minister In-charge of the Presidency - TUMWEBAZE FRANK

9. Minister for Karamoja - MUSEVENI JANET KATAAHA

10. Minister in Charge of General Duties/Office of the Prime Minister - NASASIRA

MWOONO JOHN

11. Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees - MALLINGA STEPHEN

12. Minister of Information and National Guidance - BUSINGYE MARY KAROORO OKURUT

13. Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries - BUCHANAYANDI TRESS

14. Minister of Defence - KIYONGA CRISPUS

15. Minister of Education and Sports - ALUPO JESSICA ROSE EPEL

16. Minister of Energy and Minerals - MULONI IRENE

17. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning - KIWANUKA MARIA

18. Minister of Works and Transport - BYANDALA ABRAHAM JAMES

19. Minister of Justice - KAHINDA OTAFIIRE & Constitutional Affairs

20. Attorney General - NYOMBI PETER

21. Minister of Gender, Labour & Social affairs - KABWEGYERE TARSIS

22. Minister of Trade, Industry & Cooperatives - KYAMBADDE AMELIA ANNE

23. Minister of Water and Environment - KAMUNTU EPHRAIM

24. Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development - MIGEREKO DAUDI

25. Minister of Health - ONDOA CHRISTINE

26. Minister of Foreign Affairs - KUTESA KAHAMBA SAM

27. Minister of Information & Communications Technology - RUGUNDA

RUHAKANA

28. Minister of Local Government - MWESIGE ADOLF

29. Minister without Portfolio in-charge of Political Mobilization - TODWONG

RICHARD

30. Government Chief Whip - KASULE JUSTINE LUMUMBA

31. Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities - MARIA MUTAGAMBA

32. Minister of Internal Affairs - ONEK HILARY

MINISTERS OF STATE:

Office of the President:

1. Minister of State for

Economic Monitoring - BANYENZAKI

HENRY

2. Minister of State for

Ethics and Integrity - LOKODO SIMON

Office of the Vice President:

3. Minister of State Vice President’s Office - NYANZI VINCENT

Office of the Prime Minister:

4. Minister of State for Relief and Disaster Preparedness - ECWERU MUSA FRANCIS

5. Minister of State for Northern Uganda - AMUGE OTENGO REBECCA

6. Minister of State for Karamoja - OUNDO NEKESA BARBARA

7. Minister of State for Luwero Triangle - NAMAYANJA NSEREKO ROSE

8. Minister of State for Teso Affairs - AMONGIN APORU CHRISTINE HELLEN

9. Minister of State for Bunyoro Affairs - KIIZA ERNEST

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 10. Minister of State for International Affairs - ORYEM OKELLO

11. Minister of State for Regional Affairs - KIYINGI ASUMAN

Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries

12. Minister of State for Agriculture - NYIIRA ZERUBABEL MIJUMBI

13. Minister of State for Fisheries - NANKABIRWA SENTAMU RUTH

14. Minister of State for Animal Industry - RWAMIRAMA K. BRIGHT

Ministry of Education and Sports

15. Minister of State for Sports - BAKABULINDI CHARLES

16. Minister of State for Primary Education - KAMANDA BATARINGAYA

17. Minister of State for Higher Education - MUYINGO JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development:

18. Minister of State for Energy - D’UJANGA SIMON

19. Minister of State for Minerals - LOKERIS AIMAT PETER

Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development:

20. Minister of State for Finance (General) - JACAN OMACH FRED MANDIR

21. Minister of State for Planning - KASAIJA MATIA

22. Minister of State for Investment - AJEDRA GABRIEL GADISON ARIDRU

23. Minister of State for Privatization - KAJARA ASTON PETERSON

24. Minister of State for Micro- Finance - AMALI OKAO CAROLINE

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development:

25. Minister of State for Gender and Culture - ISANGA LUKIA NAKADAMA

26. Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs - KIBUULE RONALD

27. Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations - RUKUTANA

MWESIGWA

28. Minister of State for Elderly and Disability: - MADADA SULAIMAN

Ministry of Health:

29. Minister of State for Health (General) - KATAIKE SARAH NDOBOLI

30. Minister of State for Primary Health Care - OPENDI OCHIENG SARAH

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development:

31. Minister of State for Housing - ENGOLA SAM

32. Minister of State for Urban Development - NAJJEMBA ROSEMARY

33. Minister of State for Lands - NANTABA AIDAH

Ministry of Trade and Industry:

34. Minister of State for Trade - WAKIKOONA DAVID

35. Minister of State for Industry - MUTENDE SHINYABULO JAMES

Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities:

36. Minister of State for Tourism - AKIROR AGNES

Ministry of Water and Environment:

37. Minister of State for Water - ATUKU BIGOMBE BETTY

38. Minister of State for Environment - NABUGERA MUNAABA FLAVIA

Ministry of Works and Transport:

39. Minister of State for Transport - CHEBROT STEPHEN CHEMOIKO

40. Minister of State for Works - BYABAGAMBI JOHN

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs

41. Deputy Attorney General - RUHINDI FRED

Ministry of Defence

42. Minister of State for Defence - ODONGO JEJE

Ministry of Internal Affairs

43. Minister of State for Internal Affairs - BABA JAMES

Ministry of ICT

44. Minister of State for Communication (ICT) - NYOMBI TEMBO

Ministry of Local Government

45. Minister of State for Local Government - AADROA ALEX ONZIMA

Ministry of Public Service

46. Minister of State for Public Service - SSEZI PRISCA MBAGUTA

Ministry of East African Affairs

47. Minister of State for East African Affairs - SHEM BAGAINE

48. Dr. Nduhuura Richard - AMBASSADOR TO THE UN, NEW YORK

AMAJO MARY PRINCIPAL PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT

SIGNED this ……………….....day of August, in the Year of our Lord Two Thousand Twelve.

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA