Govt Balloons in Size to 76 Ministers

28 May 2011

THE first cabinet under Museveni’s regime had 33 full ministers and nine ministers of state. Last week Parliament approved 76 ministers. Joyce Namutebi sought the views on the new size of the cabinet.

This week, Parliament approved a request by the President to increase the number of cabinet ministers from 21 to 29 and other ministers from 21 to 47. This will bring the total number of ministers to 76 from 70.

Moving the motion for a resolution of Parliament on Wednesday, the Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, explained that the President had considered it expedient that the number of cabinet ministers and other ministers be varied to enhance effective political supervision, accommodate the various national interests and to promote the transformation of Uganda.

Uganda’s cabinet is steadily getting bigger and bigger. The first cabinet under President Yoweri Museveni had 33 full ministers and nine ministers of state. It had politicians from different political groups in the country.

In his book, The Mustard Seed, Museveni said his intention of having a broad-based Government was to try and heal the divide that had been created by Uganda’s political parties.

On Wednesday, Mbabazi noted that one of the national objectives and directive principles of state policy is that all organs of state and the people of Uganda should work towards the promotion of national unity, peace and stability.

He also noted that the cabinet is a central and active engine of the state in which aspirations of national unity must be reflected.

“In satisfying the aspirations of Ugandans to promote national unity, peace and stability, the composition of cabinet must ensure that all major national interests are represented and the whole country is effectively supervised politically.

Mbabazi explained that the NRM Government was elected on a pledge to improve service delivery to the people and to do this “we need very close political supervision.”

He also said when the Constitution limited the total number of ministers to 42 there were reasons for it, but the framers realised that there might be need to vary this number and gave authority to Parliament to do it.

He said compared to other governments in the world, Uganda has a small cabinet. He cited the British Government, which has nearly 120 ministers.

The Constitution in Article 113(2) states that the total number of cabinet ministers shall not exceed 21 except with the approval of Parliament. Also Article 114 (3) provides that the number of other ministers should not exceed 21 except with the approval of the House.

The President intends to split some ministries to create new portfolios for justice and constitutional affairs, oil and gas and Kampala city affairs. He also intends to appoint state ministers for Bunyoro, Teso and East African Community Affairs.

His motion did not go well with opposition MPs Latif Ssebaggala, Florence Namayanja, Joseph Ssewungu and Lulume Bayiga; all of Democratic Party (DP), who opposed it. Ssebaggala said he was not convinced by the reasons raised by the President. He argued that 76 was too big a number for Uganda’s economy to support.

Ssebaggala said there are local councils from LC1, LC leaders, councillors, chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners and their assistants. He asked what their role was. “Why are we duplicating work?” he asked.

He said when the President talks about balancing he is not sincere because among the five top positions in the land there is no Muslim.

He was not happy that Mbabazi was comparing the British cabinet to that of Uganda, whose economy is not anywhere near that of UK. He contended that national interest should be above selfish interests.

Bayiga argued that Museveni’s request was not based on research. He maintained that Ugandans need service delivery, which is reflected in the amount of resources allocated for the implementation of projects.

He said remittances to local councils had reduced and that the bodies are struggling to collect taxes.

Ssewungu on the other hand said the money meant for the extended cabinet can be channelled towards improvement of schools, building of teachers’ houses and improving their salaries.

MPs Anifa Kawooya (NRM), Everlyn Anite (youth), Cerinah Nebanda (NRM), Stephen Baka Mugabi (NRM), Muyanja Mbabaali (NRM) and Victoria Rusoke (NRM) supported the motion. Anite requested that an independent ministry for the youth be established separate from the ministry of gender.

Mugabi said the country has grown in many areas such as population, economy, but most importantly the interest groups. “We have all sorts of interest groups. They need representation for a country to be stable,” he said.

Without quoting figures, he said Uganda’s cabinet is the cheapest in the region, prompting former state minister for animal husbandry Bright Rwamirama to say that ministers get the salary of MPs.

Mugabi also argued that there are new areas that need political oversight such as oil-rich Bunyoro.

Information available indicates that our neighbour, Tanzania’s cabinet has 50 members, including deputy ministers while that of Malawi has 23 ministers and 19 deputy ministers.

The executive director, National Planning Authority, Kisasirana Longino, says: ” I think that is not my area but when we were drawing the National Development Plan we indicated problems to do with governance.” He says public sector administration is a big constraint during planning and that they have strategies to address it.

Kisasirana adds that “the size of cabinet is not one of the problems we encountered while drawing up the plan”. He says there are many more problems hindering service delivery. “We (NPA) have made proposals on how to improve service delivery. These are the things I would be happier to talk about other than the size of cabinet.

The spokesperson of Kampala City Traders Association, Issa Sekitto, said he had dealt with ministers and seen how they perform but that Uganda cannot be an island. “While other countries are trying to have limited ministers, we can’t have magical resources to increase the number.”

He believes that most of the work is done by technical people and wonders why a ministry can have four, five ministers. “We can’t pay for all these people. As businesspeople paying some taxes I do not think that it is something we can support. You facilitate a few to get maximum efficiency,” he says.

Pastor Martin Ssempa of Makerere Community Church says: “I am surprised that at a time when we should be cutting back and becoming leaner because of financial difficulties in all countries, Parliament should choose to expand the cabinet. This means more vehicles, more offices and probably more opportunities for corruption.”

He says the reason Parliament is approving this is because some of them think that they have a chance to be chosen ministers. “Maybe it is the right decision at the wrong time.”

Ssempa says he has offered his services to work as a minister of ethics and integrity just for only 100 days and if given the mandate he will sort out many of the problems plaguing the country, including fighting homosexuality.

“In general, I think it is a wrong decision. We have a problem that our highly tribalised nation and religious affiliation require that the President balances getting support by dishing out such positions to people of different tribes. I anticipate that the President is distributing to every tribe and religion and every new district, a cabinet office. I regret the decision,” Ssempa says.

A resident of Mutungo, Luzira who did not want to be quoted says: “It would drain the taxpayers’ money for no good reason. The money should be put elsewhere where it would serve Ugandans better other than paying people who are enriching themselves,”

The country director for International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Uganda, Leonard Okello, says considering the economic challenges the country is facing and considering the fact that there is an increase in districts and sub-counties, the proposed cabinet would be a burden on public expenditure.

He says he would like to see more resources and increased budget going to areas such as health, education, agriculture and other social services and a reduction in the number of managers.

Okello says in the Afrobarometer study last year, health was number one priority according to the citizens and he is not sure whether the increase in the number of ministers is going to translate into improved service delivery in the area of health.

Workers representative Dr. Sam Lyomoki says he supports the increase in the number of ministers. One of the reasons he gives is that there are new developments such as in Kampala and that some of these amendments are consequential.

AllAfrica – All the Time