Museveni promotes two junior ministers
CAPTION: Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo as the Acting Minister of Education and Sports. (File photo).
By Our reporter
KAMPALA – President Yoweri Museveni has promoted two junior ministers to full cabinet posts to fill gaps in the May 26th cabinet reshuffle.
“In exercise of the powers vested in the President under Article 99(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo as the Acting Minister of Education and Sports in the absence of a substantive Minister. The appointment takes immediate effect,” reads a State House statement released June 25th, 2026.
Muyingo is acting on behalf of the Education and Sports Ministry held by the First Lady Janet Museveni who was flown out the country a couple of months ago for medical treatment.
The First Lady was flown to the United States, Atlanta, Georgia in late March 2026 for emergency medical treatment following a severe health scare.
Rumors and speculation about the trip first surfaced in late March 2026 when the presidential jet was tracked in the U.S. While some officials initially claimed the flight was for routine aircraft maintenance, President Yoweri Museveni later confirmed that the First Lady had been struck by a serious illness on March 21, 2026, and thanked God and medical professionals for saving her life.
In another appointment letter dated June 22, 2026, Museveni invoked Article 99(1) of the Constitution designate Kasolo to temporarily oversee the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“In exercise of the powers vested in the President by Article 99(1) of the Constitution, I hereby appoint you as Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in the absence of a substantive minister,” Museveni wrote in the letter addressed to Kasolo.
The appointment comes amid an unusual leadership vacuum at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the recent Cabinet reshuffle. President Museveni had earlier named Adonia Ayebare for the position, but the appointment was met with questions over his citizenship status.
Ayebare was among four ministers-designate whose appointments came under scrutiny over allegations that they held dual citizenship. The Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act restricts dual citizens from holding certain public offices, including those of Cabinet minister and state minister.
Kasolo, who has been serving as State Minister for Foreign Affairs, will now oversee the ministry’s day-to-day operations, diplomatic engagements, and implementation of Uganda’s foreign policy until a substantive minister is appointed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays a critical role in managing Uganda’s relations with foreign governments, international organisations and regional bodies. The temporary appointment is expected to ensure continuity in diplomatic operations at a time when Uganda is actively engaged in several regional and international initiatives, including peace and security efforts in the Great Lakes region and the East African Community integration process.
