President Museveni has made fresh changes to his newly announced Cabinet after a legal and procedural controversy emerged over the appointment of Justine Kasule Lumumba as Government Chief Whip despite her not being a serving Member of Parliament.
In a statement released Thursday by the Presidential Press Unit, State House announced that Museveni had revised the proposed Cabinet list earlier submitted to Parliament for approval.
"His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has made slight changes to the proposed list of Cabinet Ministers earlier submitted to Parliament for approval," the statement read.
The changes saw Lumumba removed from the Government Chief Whip position and instead appointed Minister for Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance.
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Former Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng, who was on Tuesday appointed ICT and National Guidance minister, was subsequently named Government Chief Whip.
The reshuffle followed growing public and political scrutiny after legal observers pointed out that Lumumba's appointment to the Chief Whip position contravened Parliament's Rules of Procedure.
Rule 16(1)(a) of Parliament's Rules provides that the Government Chief Whip must be "appointed by Government from among the Members of Parliament representing the ruling party."
The provision effectively requires the office holder to be both a serving MP and a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Lumumba, a former NRM Secretary General and ex-Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, is not currently a serving MP, making her initial appointment procedurally problematic.
The issue quickly gained traction online, with lawyers, political commentators and legislators questioning whether Parliament could legally process her appointment.
Both Lumumba and Aceng took to social media on Thursday evening in the hours preceding the President's statement to announce their reshuffle.
The correction now places Aceng -- who is the Woman MP for Lira City and therefore qualifies under parliamentary rules -- in the Government Chief Whip role.
The Government Chief Whip plays a critical role in managing government business in Parliament, mobilising ruling party legislators, coordinating attendance, and ensuring executive legislative priorities are passed.
Lumumba's reassignment to the ICT and National Guidance docket also introduces a new political dynamic into the communications ministry, which sits at the centre of government messaging, media policy and digital regulation.
The latest changes come amid wider debate over the size and structure of Museveni's new executive after Parliament on Thursday approved a constitutional variation expanding the permissible number of Cabinet Ministers from 21 to 30 and Ministers of State from 21 to 51.
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That approval formally aligned the Constitution with Museveni's latest appointments after government admitted it had effectively been operating outside constitutional limits.
With the revisions now communicated to Parliament, the President's updated Cabinet list is expected to proceed for approval under the revised arrangement.
