Museveni Orders Preparations for Ayebare, Musherure Swearing-In after U.S. Citizenship Renunciation

The planned swearing-in of Ayebare and Musherure signals that government considers the legal issues surrounding their appointments to have been resolved following completion of their U.S. citizenship renunciation process

Amb Adonia (L) and Musherure

President Museveni has directed Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye to schedule the swearing-in of Ambassador Adonia Ayebare as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Shartsi Kutesa Musherure as Minister of State for Microfinance after the two completed the renunciation of their U.S. citizenship, ChimpReports has learned.

Multiple government sources confirmed that the President instructed Nakyobe to identify a date when he is in Kampala to preside over the ceremony.

The move marks a significant development in a citizenship dispute that delayed the inauguration of four Cabinet nominees following President Museveni’s latest reshuffle.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Parliament’s Appointments Committee wrote to the President after completing the vetting exercise, clearing the appointments of Ayebare, Musherure and Calvin Echodu, who was nominated Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs).

However, the committee advised that the three should first complete the renunciation of their foreign citizenship before assuming ministerial office.

Museveni subsequently opted not to swear them in after receiving legal advice that administering the oath before completion of the renunciation process could expose the appointments to legal challenge.

As a result, Ayebare, Musherure, Echodu and Dr. Lawrence Muganga, who had been nominated Minister of State for Internal Affairs, did not take oath when the rest of the Cabinet was sworn in at State House Entebbe.

Government sources now say Ayebare and Musherure have completed the renunciation process relating to their American citizenship, paving the way for their inauguration.

A swearing-in ceremony had initially been planned for Thursday, July 23, but was postponed because of the President’s busy schedule.

“A new date will be fixed once the President’s programme allows,” a government source told ChimpReports.

The status of Echodu remains under review, although officials said his file is also being processed.

The citizenship questions emerged after Parliament’s Appointments Committee sought verification from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the citizenship status of ministerial nominees.

Unlike Ayebare, Musherure and Echodu, whose files contained documentary evidence showing they had initiated formal renunciation procedures with the relevant foreign authorities, Muganga’s candidature was rejected by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on grounds of multiple citizenships and his failure to provide documentary evidence that he had commenced the formal renunciation process when he appeared before the committee.

His nomination was subsequently referred back to President Museveni as the appointing authority.

Muganga has maintained that he was the victim of a political witch-hunt by a section of lawmakers.

However, parliamentary officials have insisted that the committee’s decision was based on documentary evidence, arguing that Muganga failed to produce proof that he had initiated formal renunciation of his foreign citizenships during the vetting process.

The citizenship issue prompted Museveni to direct Head of Public Service Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, State House legal officer Florence Kiconco and Solicitor General Pius Perry Biribonwoha to engage the four nominees and advise him on the way forward.

During the Cabinet swearing-in ceremony, Nakyobe confirmed that the consultations had taken place and that a report had been submitted to the President for guidance.

The impending swearing-in of Ayebare and Musherure indicates that government considers the legal issues surrounding their appointments to have been resolved following completion of their U.S. citizenship renunciation process, leaving Muganga’s nomination and Echodu’s pending inauguration as the remaining unresolved files arising from the citizenship review.