If Too Old to Run Public Service, He is Too Old to Be Amama’s Deputy

Bernard Tabaire

4 June 2011

opinion

Apparently, Mr Henry Kajura is past it. He cannot even run for president because he is two years past the upper limit of 75. The Appointments Committee, which vets those that the President names to juicy jobs, thinks he can no longer run the Ministry of Public Service. He must stick to being Second Deputy Prime Minister. If the dude is too old to be Minister of Public Service, methinks it follows that he is too old to be Deputy Prime Minister as well.

He is lucky though. Back in the ’70s, Mr Kajura would have been retired in public interest. As he should. In any case, he would still remain MP. The decent people of Hoima Municipality elected their man and they should have him, his reported frequent nodding off in public notwithstanding. This is to hope, however, that the other septuagenarian deputy premier, Gen. Moses Ali, keeps awake. Even if barely. Government business, of which he is also deputy leader, is truly serious business.

Strange appointments litter the endless Cabinet list. Those who held out hope that Mzee had delayed releasing the list because he was taking his sweet time making sure every pick was hot for Uganda have for a week now been swallowing painkiller after painkiller. As chief city engineer, Mr Abraham Byandaala presided over the rapid multiplication in number and size of potholes in Kampala. For his unrivalled services to the city of seven hills, Mzee has rewarded the engineer with running the Ministry of Works and Transport. From Nasasira to Byandaala! Pass that Hedex pack.

Mr Hilary Onek makes the switch from Energy and Mineral Development to Internal Affairs. He may have been overzealous (knocking heads with powerful PS Kabagambe-Kaliisa) in his attempts to do good at Energy, but moving him to Internal Affairs is peculiar. He is being replaced by Ms Irene Muloni, who is not a bad pick. Among others, she will supervise Mr Simon D’Ujanga, her former boss at Uganda Electricity Board.

The number of area ministries has risen. Luweero Triangle, Northern Uganda and Karamoja are now in the company of Bunyoro and Teso. (FDC groups these into the ministry of special regions). Populism and patronage are growing from district-creation to area ministry-creation. It is just the start. West Nile or Kalangala or Buganda may yet get special ministerial attention.

Karamoja is now a full ministry. One would think Northern Uganda was more deserving of elevation. If not, both should have been elevated. Otherwise we can only guess that First Lady Janet Museveni had to be given something big. She remains a good choice for Karamoja.

Whoever typed up the list named a non-existent person to the Ministry of Health. Or maybe the blame lies elsewhere. Via former ICT Minister Aggrey Awori, we have “learned”, after all, that the list was doctored and his name doctored off it. A real doctor must have thought the same too, at least initially. Christine Ondoa was christened Christine Androa on the list. Right, we know now it is not just Mr Kajura who sleeps on the job.

Despite the goof, Dr Ondoa is wished success – defined to mean that Mr Vincent Onyango will never be forced again to bare his dangly bits because Buyende District Hospital lacks gloves. Keep the guy zipped up, Madam Minister! And remember that for failure to do that, Dr Stephen Mallinga was sent to disaster preparedness and refugees. Mr Musa Ecweru must think that he deserved a promotion. Me too. No matter, the two guys from Teso will “short wave” and get on with it. Else we will have a disaster. Imagine anyone forcing us to miss Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere. That would be a disaster 3 1 1.

I hope no catastrophe befalls the Ministry of Education and Sports. Phrases like ‘out of one’s depth’ were invented for a reason. But good soldiers fight and win battles and wars. Best of luck to Ms Jessica Alupo (a retired army lieutenant).

This is an interesting Cabinet in several ways. A good Muslim MP noticed the over-representation of Muslims in one ministry. Mr Mwesigwa Rukutana is the only non-Muslim at the Ministry of Gender and Social Affairs. Otherwise Syda Bbumba and her other deputies Lukia Isanga Nakadama and Sulaiman Madada are all Muslim. The last anyone bothered, though, that ministry’s name was Gender, Labour and Social Development.

The other ministry that seems to have been quietly renamed is the one Ms Bbumba (Ms Lullaby) just left after two years: Finance, Planning and Economic Development. We are now talking of Finance and Economic Planning with businesswoman and former World Bank technocrat Maria Kiwanuka as head. Hers is arguably the biggest talking point of the new line up. It is closely linked to the other: the big number of mamas heading key ministries. Good, but we want services. Finished.

Mr Tabaire is a media trainer and consultant with the African Centre for Media Excellence

AllAfrica – All the Time