Kampala — President Yoweri Museveni has revised the Cabinet list he recently submitted to Parliament, reassigning Justine Kasule Lumumba to the Ministry of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, while appointing Dr Jane Ruth Aceng as Government Chief Whip.
The changes were communicated in a statement issued by the Presidential Press Unit this morning. Aceng had initially been named Minister for Information in the Cabinet reshuffle announced earlier this week.
The revision follows growing debate over Lumumba's appointment as Government Chief Whip, a position traditionally held by a sitting Member of Parliament from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Former Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda had questioned the legality of Lumumba's appointment, arguing that it contravened both the Administration of Parliament Act and Parliament's Rules of Procedure. Section 6 of the Act and Rule 15 of the Rules require that the Government Chief Whip be appointed from among Members of Parliament representing the ruling party.
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Lumumba, who is not currently an MP, had been named Government Chief Whip in the initial Cabinet list, prompting concerns about compliance with parliamentary procedures and the growing overlap between executive and legislative functions.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network before the changes were announced, Ssemujju described Lumumba as a "stranger" in parliamentary terms, noting that anyone within the precincts of Parliament who is not a member is classified as such.
He argued that the office of Government Chief Whip was originally intended to coordinate ruling-party legislators, ensure attendance, manage voting, and mobilise support for government business in the House. According to him, successive administrations have gradually transformed the role into a full Cabinet position, blurring the distinction between Parliament and the Executive.
Ssemujju also contended that the office is funded and facilitated by both Parliament and the Executive, resulting in duplication of roles and resources. He maintained that responsibilities such as supervising ministers and directing government business in the House fall under the mandate of the Leader of Government Business and other designated government officials.
The latest changes appear to have addressed the immediate legal and procedural questions surrounding Lumumba's appointment by assigning her to a conventional Cabinet ministry. In contrast, Aceng's appointment now places a serving Member of Parliament in the role, potentially bringing it into conformity with parliamentary rules.
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Aceng, the Lira City Woman MP, who has served as Minister of Health since 2018, now assumes the politically significant task of coordinating government business in Parliament, mobilising NRM legislators, and advancing the government's legislative agenda.
Parliament is expected to consider and approve the revised list of Cabinet ministers in the coming days.
