Museveni Fires Magogo, Five Others

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) convened yesterday at State House Entebbe to appoint new chairpersons and deputies for the 15 sectoral committees of Parliament. Presided over by President Yoweri Museveni, the party’s national chairperson, the meeting resulted in significant leadership changes aimed at enhancing committee effectiveness and accountability.

Several high-profile MPs were replaced as part of the committee restructuring. Notable among those dropped were Budiope East MP Moses Hashim Magogo, who chaired the ICT and National Guidance Committee, and Mbarara South Division MP Mwine Mpaka, who led the Tourism, Trade and Industry Committee.

Affected Committees Include:

• Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
• Defence and Internal Affairs
• East African Community Affairs
• Education and Sports
• Environment and Natural Resources
• Finance, Planning and Economic Development
• Foreign Affairs
• Gender, Labour and Social Development
• Health
• Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance
• Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
• Presidential Affairs
• Public Service and Local Government
• Tourism, Trade and Industry
• Physical Infrastructure

Specific Appointments and Replacements

1. Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee:
   • Chairperson: Ms. Robina Gureme Rwakoojo retains her position.
   • Deputy Chairperson: Bugabula North County MP John Teira replaces Bunyole East MP Yusuf Mutembuli, who is currently facing corruption charges.
2. Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Committee:
   • Deputy Chairperson: Mubende District MP Hope Nakazibwe replaces Lira District Woman MP Agnes Linda Auma.
3. Environment and Natural Resources Committee:
   • Chairperson: Ayivu East Division MP Geofrey Feta replaces Dr. Emmanuel Otaala of Budaama County.

The CEC meeting was also attended by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, necessitating the rescheduling of a parliamentary session originally set for the same day. Parliament is now expected to convene today, with a key agenda item being the designation of members to sectoral committees, following Rules 187 and 188 of the Rules of Procedure. This discussion has been allocated 30 minutes on the Order Paper.

The CEC emphasized that the appointees will undergo a thorough vetting process to ensure they meet the necessary standards of competence and integrity. This move is part of a broader effort to eliminate inefficiency and misconduct within parliamentary committees, addressing concerns about “bad apples” in the system.