Kadaga sworn in as 1st deputy prime minister

Ms Kadaga in company of her family members took oath as the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the East African Community Affairs from State House, Nakasero. PHOTO | COURTESY

Former Speaker of Parliament Ms Rebecca Kadaga yesterday officially took oath as the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the East African Community Affairs. 

On Monday, Ms Kadaga was part of the 17 ministers that did not take oath. However, it was not clear why she had missed taking oath despite other minister disclosing that they had missed because they had come into contact with  people that had tested positive for Covid-19.

In a ceremony that conduced at State House Nakasero, Ms Kadaga took her oath of allegiance and oath of secrecy in the evening after the ceremony was shifted from midday, the earlier scheduled time.

This also dismissed speculations that she would be sworn-in virtually via zoom after the ceremony was delayed for nearly four hours.

This therefore means Ms Kadaga has accepted to serve in the said ministerial position and is according to President Museveni, expected to among others duties spear head the regional integration between Uganda and other East African States.

This also leaves the number of ministers that are yet to be sworn in to 16 and it is not yet clear when this will be done. The Secretary to Cabinet os expected to communicate when the other ministers will be sworn in.

In his address to ministers that were sworn in at the Kololo Independence grounds, Mr Museveni said: “the economy is growing but the problem is where do we sell all these products? That is why we must address the issue of the East African and African integration. We are working on the issue of integration and that is why I put my young sister, Kadaga [in that position].”

Ms Kadaga served for two straight decades in the position Speaker of Parliament both having succeeded from Mr Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi who was Vice President in the former Cabinet.

Ms Kadaga was on May 24, 2021 defeated by her former Deputy, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, for the Speakership chair, a position she insisted to contest for even after her party the National Resistance Movement (NRM) did not back her.

She had since kept away from the public eye.