By close of business on Wednesday 25th May, the students’ community at the Mukono based Uganda Christian University (UCU) was all aware about the sudden reshuffle within the Cabinet of the University’s 24th Guild Government.
According to a letter from the Guild President H.E Racheal Sserwadda that was dated 24th May though not signed but merely stamped, she noted that the reshuffle was meant to promote efficiency so as to achieve excellence which all targeted meeting the government’s five-point program based on education, health, security, accountability and formidable leadership.
The official cabinet list that was shared on the various guild government platforms indicated a clear reshuffle with some members fully thrown out of cabinet while others we reappointed to different cabinet and Electoral Commission positions.
These included Hon. Walusimbi Mark Kezaala who was serving as the Attorney General, reappointed as the Minister for Presidency and then replaced by now Hon. Kazibwe Arnold Patrick, Hon. Agaba Fatiah Kazungu who was deputizing the Prime Minister was reappointed as the Minister of Gender and replaced by now Rt. Hon Mutesi Joanitah who was serving as the Deputy Finance Minister.
Mutesi was replaced by Hon. Nambiro Noelina Tebyasa, Hon. Yedenge Frances Kasango who was the Minister for Presidency is now the Deputy Minister for Education with the former holding the position, Hon. Ahereza Brian not reappointed in any position.
In addition, reshuffles also knocked the Guild Electoral Commission with Alikutu Asmah Musa who was the Commission’s Vice President who resigned the day before being reappointed as the Commission’s Finance Secretary and then replaced by Cheptoyek Joannah.
However, even with the reappointments, our sources say that these were seen as demotions which under looked the abilities of these members and also as a sign that the Guild President wasn’t appreciative of their efforts which prompted her to reappoint them in lower positions as a political move not to face opposition for throwing them out of the cabinet. This explains why some of these including Walusimbi Mark and Alikutu Asmah Musa decided to turn down the new appointments.
In a Twitter space hosted by the Listening Post over the weekend, some of the members who were subject to the reshuffle showed how they weren’t pleased about the reshuffles as they displayed them to the rest of the students’ community as incompetent student leaders.
They also noted that the reshuffle made them start to doubt the top Guild Administration and how it comes up with decisions when it’s not sure of what is going on.
The Prime Minister Rt. Hon Makuma Ephraim Titus who also attended the twitter space was left speechless as the moderators fired him questions about the reshuffle and his responses weren’t convincing to all the space attendees.
One guild official (preferred names not disclosed) informed us that the entire cabinet is in a complicated state as it Is divided into two parts with the Guild President and some top officials in one corner and the others left out in the dark, these make decisions that catch the rest by surprise including the reshuffle as no one saw it coming.
According to this guild official, the top guild officials are the very reason why the Guild government is not performing but instead held these members liable for the failure which wasn’t right.
Campus bee is informed that the Guild President has on some occasions got into serious dissatisfaction with her cabinet members on how they execute their obligations and instead of confronting them, she instead reported them to the Dean of Students Affairs (DOSA) which didn’t settle well with the rest.
Sources say that the decision may have been made out of emotions connected to what has been happening in the Guild as some officials weren’t agreeing with the way the Guild President was running the government.
Other sources indicate that the decision may have been pressurized from the University Administration since there’s no clear reason as to why a reshuffle could happen that fast with the Guild President not even within the country.
Sources confirm that the Guild President at the time of the reshuffle was in Kenya attending the National Prayer Breakfast which happened on Thursday 26th May, this could explain why the letter released by the Guild President about the reshuffle was dated 24th May and then released on 25th May did not bear the signature of the Guild President.
Different students at the moment have different views about the reshuffle and many still think the reasons given weren’t in any way satisfactory.
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