Parliament appointments' committee is Museveni's rubber-stamp, says Ssenyonyi

Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Joel Ssenyonyi has defended his absence as the Parliamentary Appointments' Committee vetted and approved six new appointed ministers, saying that “the committee serves the interests of President Museveni."

"My office has a number of engagements like [on Monday morning] I had to attend to people whose property got burnt in Nakawa market. Sometimes, we weigh our priorities, because even when I go for that appointments committee and object, they will still pass these people," Ssenyonyi said.

"I have attended the same committee before and objected to some names but the majority have it at the end of the day, basically because the committee became Museveni's interest rubber stamp," he added.

The legislator emphasized that there is urgent need to review the terms of the committee operations to allow efficient scrutiny of appointees.

"I am actually intending to write to Speaker Anita Among raising a couple of issues regarding the way the appointments committee is run. In practice, we are meant to receive CVs of these people in advance, but you enter the room and the CVs are brought to you while they are walking in and that time is not enough to peruse through and conduct a proper interview," he said.

Other Members of Parliament like Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu also skipped Monday’s vetting chaired by Among citing similar reasons.

Meantime, ministers approved on Monday included events promoter and businessman, Balam Barugahara, the designate state minister for gender, in charge of youths and children affairs.

The committee also cleared Kitgum District legislator Lilian Aber as state minister for disaster preparedness and refugees while national female youth MP Phiona Nyamutoro was also allowed to take over as new state minister for minerals.

Others approved are Kenneth Omona and Sironko District woman MP Florence Nambozo.

Outgoing defence forces chief Gen Wilson Mbadi was not sighted at parliament, but Monitor has learnt that the serviceman was also cleared to become Uganda’s state minister for trade.

The vetted ministers are set to swear in at State House on Wednesday, according to preliminary arrangements.

Vetted ministers pledge

Balaam Barugahara, State minister for youth and children affairs: I am not in the cabinet to recruit youths [into] the MK project. I am here to address challenges of the young people who make more than 75% of Uganda’s population.

Lilian Aber, state minister for disaster preparedness and refugees: On one hand I am happy but on the other, I am also challenged because I have to work hard, prove a point and fulfill the obligations that I have been given, but one thing I can assure the country is that we will serve with absolute diligence.

Phiona Nyamutoro, state minister for minerals: I pledge hard work and integrity to see how best we can maximize the low hanging fruits of the [energy and mineral] sector for the development of Uganda. I think Uganda is good to go when it comes to petroleum but also there are very many other minerals that we need to explore.

Florence Nambozo, state minister for Karamoja affairs: The issues of Karamoja have an indifferent narrative, it will not be I, but by God. I don't stand in the place of God to say I am the one going to remove them but one thing that I know is that I must be having a healing ingredient in me [and] it is the reason I have been appointed to go to Karamoja.

Kenneth Omona, state minister for Northern Uganda Affairs: This ministry was formed to deal with the post war effects in Northern Uganda, to ensure that the government rehabilitates them and also ensure social-economic transformation to cause development in the region. So, it is not something new and I will begin from what I will find there.