Ambassador Adonia Ayebare
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Following resolution of legal hindrances to their swearing in, President Yoweri Museveni is now preparing to preside over the inauguration of two Cabinet ministers whose appointments had been delayed by citizenship-related legal requirements.
The President has directed the Head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, to schedule the swearing-in ceremony for Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, the Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, and Shartsi Kutesa Musherure, the Minister-designate of State for Microfinance, after both successfully completed the renunciation of their United States citizenship.
According to reliable government sources, Museveni instructed Nakyobe to identify a suitable date when he will be in Kampala to personally administer the oath of office, signalling that the legal concerns that previously delayed the appointments have now been resolved.
The development marks a significant breakthrough in a citizenship dispute that disrupted the inauguration of four Cabinet nominees following the President’s latest Cabinet reshuffle.
Renunciation of foreign citizenship
Sources familiar with the matter said Parliament’s Appointments Committee cleared the nominations of Ayebare, Musherure and Calvin Echodu, who was nominated Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs), after completing the vetting process. However, the committee advised that the three first complete the formal renunciation of their foreign citizenship before assuming ministerial office.
The recommendation prompted Museveni to withhold their swearing-in after receiving legal advice warning that administering the oath before completion of the renunciation process could expose the appointments to constitutional and legal challenges.
As a result, Ayebare, Musherure, Echodu and Dr. Lawrence Muganga, who had been nominated Minister of State for Internal Affairs, were absent when the rest of the new Cabinet took the oath of office during a ceremony at State House Entebbe.
Government insiders now confirm that both Ayebare and Musherure have fulfilled the legal requirement by completing the renunciation of their American citizenship, effectively removing the obstacle that had prevented them from assuming office.
A swearing-in ceremony had initially been organised for Thursday, July 23, but had to be postponed because of the President’s busy schedule.
“A new date will be fixed once the President’s programme allows,” a reliable source disclosed.
Echodu’s file pending
The status of Echodu, however, remains under review, with officials indicating that his documentation is still undergoing processing before a final decision can be made regarding his inauguration.
The citizenship questions first emerged during Parliament’s scrutiny of the ministerial nominees when the Appointments Committee sought verification from the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the citizenship status of those nominated to Cabinet.
Unlike Dr. Muganga, Ayebare, Musherure and Echodu were able to present documentary evidence showing that they had already initiated formal renunciation procedures with the relevant foreign authorities before appearing before the committee.
Muganga’s case took a different turn.
The Appointments Committee rejected his nomination after concluding that he held multiple citizenships and had failed to produce documentary evidence proving that he had commenced the formal process of renouncing his foreign citizenships at the time of his vetting.
His nomination was subsequently referred back to President Museveni as the appointing authority for further consideration.
Muganga has consistently maintained that he was the victim of a political witch-hunt orchestrated by a section of legislators determined to block his appointment.
Parliamentary officials, however, have defended the committee’s decision, insisting it was based entirely on documentary evidence presented during the vetting process rather than political considerations.
As the controversy unfolded, President Museveni tasked Head of Public Service Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, State House legal officer Florence Kiconco and Solicitor General Pius Perry Biribonwoha with engaging the affected nominees and advising him on the appropriate legal course of action.
During the Cabinet swearing-in ceremony at State House, Nakyobe confirmed that consultations had been completed and that a comprehensive report had been submitted to the President for his guidance.
Clearance obtained
The impending inauguration of Ayebare and Musherure now suggests that government is satisfied that the legal requirements governing their eligibility to hold ministerial office have been fully met.
Their swearing-in will effectively close one chapter of the citizenship controversy that overshadowed the recent Cabinet reshuffle, while leaving only the unresolved files relating to Echodu’s pending inauguration and Muganga’s nomination, which remains under consideration by the President.
For government, the planned ceremony represents more than a routine constitutional process. It reflects a deliberate effort to ensure that Cabinet appointments comply fully with Uganda’s legal framework, thereby shielding the appointments from future court challenges while allowing the President’s chosen team to assume office with unquestionable legal legitimacy.
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