Leader of Opposition, Betty Aol Ochan has scoffed at President Museveni’s cabinet reshuffle, saying it will not improve service delivery.
Aol says that the reshuffle was merely meant to reward loyal cadres who fronted the controversial president age limit bill 2017 that saw Parliament vote to scrap off an age limit for presidential aspirants.
She adds that the current cabinet has failed on service delivery and that they have left a legacy as perpetual absentees during plenary sittings and committee meetings, something that has left many issues from the country unattended to.
Among the new faces in cabinet that are said to have been rewarded for their role in defending the constitutional amendment was Igara West MP, Raphael Magyezi who was named Minister of Local Government, Robinah Nabbanja (Kakumiro Woman MP), who comes on as State Minister for Health-General Duties, Peter Ogwang (Usuk County)-State Minister for ICT and Jackson Kafuuzi (Kyaka South), who was named Deputy Attorney General, having crafted the constitutional amendment bill.
A number of MPs have also weighed into the reshuffle.
Okot Ogong, Dokolo South described the new cabinet as a normal reshuffle because they are the same faces the country gets to see arguing, “Those same people will not give new breathe of leaders who are capable who have energy, country at heart will not be given the opportunity. I am excited this time we have brilliant young people. I hope this time they will rise up to the occasion and do public work.”
Wilfred Niwagaba, Shadow Attorney General said: “The reshuffle came and we are happy about the youths that have joined the team but there isn’t much we should expect because this is a one man Government, because no Minister can take a decision without consulting the President.”
Nakaseke South MP, Lutamaguzi Ssemakula said there is nothing to be excited about in the new cabinet because these are the same people and a min reshuffle can’t create an impact in society because service delivery is going to change overnight.
“They have been rewarded because of their hypocrisy to the country you remember majority of them were the architecture of age limit so the big man has awarded them for their loyalty, there is nothing much they are going to do. Personally, they are going to amass wealth, their status is going to change, but the people they serve, there is nothing much that will change within one year,” Lutamaguzi said.
However, Solomon Silwany, the Vice Chairperson NRM caucus dismissed assertion that the posts were rewards arguing that the reshuffle was meant to bring in people with various competencies as the NRM party prepares for the next general election.
