Parliament has sworn in three newly appointed ministers, days after approving their nominations following a contentious vetting process that saw some nominees questioned over allegations of dual citizenship.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa presided over the swearing-in of Adonia Ayebare as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shartsi Kutesa Musherure as Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Microfinance, and Juma Witonze as Minister of State for Internal Affairs.
The three ministers were accompanied in the parliamentary chambers by Government Chief Whip Dr Ruth Aceng, Minister of State for Public Service Lydia Wanyoto and several other Members of Parliament.
After taking their oaths of office, the ministers received their instruments of office, including copies of the Constitution and the Rules of Procedure of Parliament.
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The ceremony followed a politically charged vetting process in which the Parliamentary Appointments Committee scrutinised the nominees' qualifications and eligibility for public office.
Ayebare, Kutesa and Calvin Echodu - who is yet to be sworn in as junior foreign affairs minister, were at one point sidelined from the vetting process amid questions over allegations that they held dual citizenship.
The issue generated public debate because the Constitution sets specific requirements concerning citizenship for people holding certain public offices, including ministers and Members of Parliament.
Speaking after the swearing-in, Tayebwa sought to distance Parliament from allegations that the vetting process had been used to target individuals based on their tribe or background.
"I hope this settles the question which some had tried to portray that some of us victimise people of a certain tribe. No, we don't do that. We only follow the law," Tayebwa said.
He said Parliament would not stand in the way of nominees who meet the legal requirements for appointment to public office.
Tayebwa said the vetting process was intended to establish whether nominees met the constitutional and statutory requirements rather than to discriminate against individuals.
"Once an individual meets the requirements of the law, Parliament has no reason to stand in their way," he said.
The swearing-in now clears the way for the three ministers to formally take up their respective responsibilities in government.
Ayebare, a career diplomat and Uganda's former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, takes charge of the Foreign Affairs docket at a time when Uganda is seeking to strengthen its diplomatic and regional relations.
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Kutesa joins the Finance Ministry with responsibility for Microfinance, a portfolio that oversees programmes intended to expand access to affordable financial services and support small businesses and low-income households.
Witonze, as State Minister for Internal Affairs, joins a ministry responsible for key functions including internal security, immigration and national identification matters.
Their assumption of office comes as government implements changes to its ministerial team ahead of the new political and administrative cycle.
The parliamentary approval and subsequent swearing-in also bring an end, for now, to the controversy surrounding the eligibility of the affected nominees and place the focus on their performance in their respective portfolios.
