BREAKING: 4 Ministers Facing Citizenship Queries May Miss Monday Swearing-In Ceremony

KAMPALA — Four ministerial nominees whose citizenship status has come under scrutiny could see their swearing-in delayed as government lawyers review the legal implications of administering the oath before their renunciation processes are fully completed.

Sources familiar with the matter told ChimpReports that State Minister-designate for Micro-Finance, State Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs) Calvin Echodu, Foreign Affairs Minister-designate Adonia Ayebare, and State Minister-designate for Internal Affairs Dr. Lawrence Muganga had not, as of Sunday afternoon, received invitations to Monday’s official Cabinet inauguration ceremony at State House Entebbe.

President Yoweri Museveni is expected to preside over the swearing-in ceremony, which will also be attended by senior government officials including the Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice and other top state functionaries.

Multiple sources said the delay followed concerns raised by officials in the Ministry of Public Service regarding the legal status of nominees who previously held dual or multiple citizenships.

According to officials briefed on the matter, the ministry advised the appointing authority that swearing in individuals whose renunciation processes remain incomplete could expose government to legal challenges.

“The concern is that while some of the nominees initiated the renunciation process and provided evidence that foreign authorities had received their applications, the process itself has not yet been concluded,” one official said.

Sources said government lawyers are examining whether initiation of renunciation alone satisfies the requirements of Uganda’s Citizenship and Immigration Control Act or whether nominees must first obtain final confirmation from the respective foreign governments before assuming ministerial office.

The matter has attracted intense public debate following Parliament’s vetting exercise, during which Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa disclosed that four nominees had been flagged over dual or multiple citizenship issues.

Tayebwa said Parliament conducted verification with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and discovered that three nominees held dual citizenship while another was associated with multiple citizenships.

He noted that the committee considered documentation showing efforts to renounce foreign citizenships before approving several nominees.

However, questions remain regarding when such renunciations legally take effect and whether individuals can assume office before the process is fully completed.

The uncertainty is greatest in the case of Dr. Muganga, whose nomination as State Minister for Internal Affairs was reportedly not approved by Parliament’s Appointments Committee after questions emerged regarding his citizenship status.

Government sources said the matter has now been referred back to President Museveni as the appointing authority.

Neither State House nor the Ministry of Public Service had publicly commented on the reports by Sunday evening.

If the legal concerns are not resolved before Monday’s ceremony, officials say the inauguration of the affected nominees could be postponed pending completion of the citizenship renunciation process and receipt of final documentation from the relevant foreign governments.

The development sets the stage for a potentially unusual Cabinet swearing-in ceremony in which some nominees could take office immediately while others await further clearance from government lawyers and the appointing authority.

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