HOW MANY CABINET MINISTERS ARE WESTERNERS?

National Debate Championship

By John Blanshe Musinguzi

The above question was asked by a King’s College Budo student to Maryhill high school student during a debate between the two schools as the the National Debate Championship proceeded, according to a story published by Daily Monitor on Wednesday 11^th, 2013. It should be noted that Maryhill high school is located in Western region while King’s College Budo is located in central region.

I too once faced a question related to the above one after the impeachment of the Lord Mayor in late November. My friend and a course mate course asked me, “What do you want from us”, he added “you have now impeached the Lord Mayor handed the city to Frank Tumwebaze” as the Maryhill student, I too did not have an answer for the question. I just looked up to the sun but it did not help me to answer the question.

Let me make it clear, western Uganda is made up of very many people and not all of them participate in the appointment of Ministers. President Museveni does not usually seek guidance from every residents of western Uganda while making choice of who to appoint as a Minister.

We too know how and why your hurt, but we cannot save you because we do not have power. We call upon you to ask such question to the relevant authority with power related to appointment of public servants.

The constitution of republic of Uganda Article 113(1) relinquish power to the President to appoint Cabinet Ministers with approval from Parliament. In this case Parliament is represented by the Parliament’s Appointment Committee.  Article 114(1) further empowers the President to appoint other Ministers with approval of Parliament to assist Cabinet Ministers in the performance of their functions.

So let anyone with such questions ask the President or Parliament’s Appointment Committee. I too have questions relating to appointment of Ministers, Judges, Director of Public Prosecution, Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, Diplomats and many more public servants but I hope to ask those with authority to appoint or approve why they appoint or approve many westerners instead of balancing appointments from parts of the country.

It is absurd if minds of Secondary School students are already indoctrinated with such thinking of segregation in appointment of Minster, next will be such discussions among primary school pupils. This means that time is coming when a student from other regions will not associate with students from western Uganda thinking that they are favoured yet that is not the case.

Some of us come from poor families, some of us have never seen the President who appoint most Public Servants. We call upon you to treat us as we not as powerful citizens who can order President appoint westerners to high positions in government.

It is my wish to inform you as most of you already knows, not all westerners support NRM government.

Dr Kizza Besigye former president of FDC, Mugisha Muntu current president of FDC, John Kazoora, Jack Sabiti among others are from western Uganda but they do not NRM government. It is not a must that all westerners must support NRM.

As we look for to promote unity in Uganda let us identify and held everybody personally for his or her mistake in public office not his friends or everyone from his or her district, constituency, or region.

John Blanshe Musinguzi is a Bachelor’s Degree of Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University.

Johnblanshe77m@gmail.com