Counting: The youth in Museveni’s new senior cabinet…. None
President Museveni made changes to his cabinet over the weekend, bring down the roof of anticipation to many Ugandans who had kept predicting the reshuffles.
While many thought that Museveni would look into the changing patterns and appoint many youthful people to his cabinet, he chose the same direction, to retain the status quo and specifically deal with those who are senior in age.
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The Nile Post looks at the age composition of Museveni’s new cabinet of 32 ministers to pick out where the youths are;
Museveni’s core cabinet is made up of 32 ministers while the rest are line ministers who must operate under the guidance and planning of their section heads.
Museveni’s oldest minister among the 32 is Kirunda Kivejinja, who has been a regular on the cabinet lists since 1986, Kivejinja is born of June 1935, which makes him 84 years. He retains his position as second deputy prime minister on top of being appointed to replace Abdul Nadduli as Minister without Portfolio.
After Kivejinja is the first deputy prime minister Moses Ali who will be 81 by April next year., then Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi who will be 78 years in January. Hence out of the unchanged op five appointments, the youngest is Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda who is aged 72.
This means that the average age of the top five in pecking order is about 74, quite a yawning contrast with the average age of Uganda being 16 years.
The youngest minister in the new senior cabinet is newly appointed ICT minister and former police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba, who is 42 years.
She is followed by Gender Minister Frank Tumwebaze at 44 years, Betty Amongi (Minister for Kampala) at 44 yars and Esther Mbayo Mbulakubuuza (Presidency) and 48 years.
This means that the ministers under 50 in Museveni’s new cabinet are only four. This is an increase in number since they were three before the addition of Nabakooba.
There is also one minister that has just crossed into the 5th floor, Jane Aceng, the minister of health is 51 years.
How old are the rest?
Janet Museveni (Minister of Education and Sports)- 71 years
Mary Busingye Karooro Okurut (General duties) – 65 years
Hilary Onek (Disaster preparedness)- 71 years
Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu (Chief Whip)- 54 years
Kahinda Otafire (East African Affairs)- 68 years
Elly Tumwine (Security)- 65 years
Adolf Mwesigye (Defence)- 53 years
Kutesa Sam (Foreign Affairs)- 70 years
Jeje Odongo (Internal Affairs)- 68 years
Kyambadde Amelia (Trade)- 64 years
Matia Kasaijja (Finance)- 75 years
Mary Kitutu (Energy)- 57 years
Tom Butime (Tourism)- 72 years
Raphael Magyezi (Local Government)- 59 years
Katumba Wamala (Works)- 63 years
Betty Olive Namisango Kamya (Lands)-64 years
Ephraim Kamuntu (Justice)- 74 years
William Byaruhanga (Attorney General)- 59 years
Sam Cheptoris (Water)- 70 years
John Byabagambi ( Karamoja) - 61 years
Elioda Tumweisgye (Technology and Innovation)- 55 years
The national youth policy defines youth as all young persons, female and male, aged 12 to 30 years. In YouthMap: A cross-sectional situational analysis on Youth in Uganda (2011), it notes the draft national youth policy (2011-2016), referring to youth as 15-29.
