ENOUGH OF YOU!! Museveni Orders All Ministers To Hand Over

As uncertainty swirls around the future of Uganda’s outgoing Cabinet, President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly directed ministers to begin formal office handovers, signaling the closing chapter of what he famously referred to as the “cabinet of fishermen and fisherwomen.”

The move comes amid growing debate over whether ministers still legally hold office following Museveni’s final Cabinet meeting on May 4, ahead of his scheduled swearing-in for another term on May 12.

Confusion has emerged within political and legal circles regarding whether decisions made by ministers after the final Cabinet sitting remain binding. The uncertainty stems from differing interpretations of when exactly Cabinet ceases to exist under Uganda’s constitutional framework.

Museveni hosted ministers to a farewell luncheon shortly after chairing the last Cabinet meeting of the 2021–2026 administration, a symbolic event that many interpreted as the effective dissolution of government leadership ahead of the formation of a new Cabinet.

However, some legal and political observers argue that ministers remain in office until the official end of the presidential term and inauguration of the next government.

Former minister Sarah Opendi said Uganda’s Constitution lacks sufficient clarity regarding the exact moment Cabinet ceases to operate.

“In Uganda, there is a contradiction when it comes to the dissolution of the cabinet and Parliament,” she told NBS Frontline.

“All I am saying is that this needs to be resolved so that it is clearly stated in the law when the cabinet is dissolved.”

Outgoing ICT and National Guidance Minister Chris Baryomunsi maintained that ministers technically remain in office until May 11, but said Museveni had already issued guidance to ensure continuity during the transition period.

“Technically speaking, the cabinet ends on 11th May but the President guided that ministers stay in office until they have handed over,” said Baryomunsi.

“The President will issue a statutory instrument guaranteeing that the ministers will stay in office until they hand over to new ministers so that there is no vacuum.”

Baryomunsi’s own political future remains uncertain as speculation intensifies over who could survive the anticipated Cabinet reshuffle. Political analysts have particularly pointed to his recent public disagreements with Museveni’s son and Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as a factor that could influence his fate in the next administration.

Attention is now increasingly shifting to the composition of Museveni’s 2026–2031 Cabinet, with intense lobbying and behind-the-scenes maneuvering already underway in ruling party circles.

Several former ministers who reclaimed parliamentary seats in the January elections are reportedly positioning themselves for a return to Cabinet, while others are expected to be dropped as Museveni seeks to consolidate power ahead of another five-year term.

The outgoing Cabinet has also not been without controversy.

Some ministers failed to complete their term in office, including former Karamoja Affairs minister Agnes Nandutu, who is currently imprisoned over the Karamoja iron sheets scandal that rocked government and triggered public outrage.

While authorities prosecuted several officials linked to the diversion of relief iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja, critics have argued that Nandutu became a scapegoat while more influential figures allegedly implicated in the scandal escaped accountability.

Museveni, during his final Cabinet meeting, praised ministers for what he described as their contribution to steering Uganda into middle-income status, while also commending the Cabinet Secretariat for coordinating government business throughout the term.

Yet beyond the praise and farewell photographs, political conversations in Kampala are now dominated by speculation over who will occupy the most powerful offices in the next government.

Among the most debated possibilities is the proposal to appoint Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as Vice President, a move some analysts believe would mark the clearest sign yet of the long-discussed “Muhoozi Project” — a term widely used to describe claims of grooming Museveni’s son for eventual national leadership.

Others within political circles have floated the name of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao for the vice presidency, arguing that such an appointment could strengthen Museveni’s political outreach beyond the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

With the inauguration only days away, Uganda now waits to see whether Museveni will opt for continuity, reward political loyalty, or spring major surprises in shaping the next Cabinet.