President Museveni Revises Cabinet List After Lumumba Appointment Sparks Legal Debate

President Yoweri Museveni has made fresh changes to Uganda’s newly announced Cabinet following legal and procedural concerns surrounding the appointment of Justine Kasule Lumumba as Government Chief Whip despite not being a serving Member of Parliament.

In a statement issued on Thursday, May 28, 2026, the Presidential Press Unit confirmed that the President had revised the Cabinet list earlier submitted to Parliament for approval.

“His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has made slight changes to the proposed list of Cabinet Ministers earlier submitted to Parliament for approval,” the statement read.

Under the new changes, Lumumba has been removed from the position of Government Chief Whip and reassigned as Minister for Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance.

Former Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, who had earlier been appointed ICT and National Guidance minister, was subsequently named Government Chief Whip.

The reshuffle follows growing public and political scrutiny after legal analysts and legislators raised concerns that Lumumba’s appointment contravened Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

Rule 16(1)(a) of Parliament’s Rules states that the Government Chief Whip must be appointed from among Members of Parliament representing the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

The requirement effectively means the office holder must be both a serving legislator and a member of the ruling party.

Lumumba, the former NRM Secretary General and former Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, is currently not a serving MP, making her earlier appointment legally contentious.

The matter quickly sparked debate on social media and within political circles, with lawyers and commentators questioning whether Parliament could lawfully process and approve her appointment.

Both Lumumba and Aceng hinted at the changes through social media posts on Thursday evening, hours before the official communication from State House.

The latest revision now places Aceng, who serves as Woman MP for Lira City, in the Government Chief Whip role, making her appointment compliant with parliamentary procedure.

The Government Chief Whip is a key position within government, responsible for coordinating government business in Parliament, mobilising ruling party legislators, ensuring attendance, and guiding the passage of executive legislation.

Meanwhile, Lumumba’s reassignment to the ICT and National Guidance ministry places her at the centre of government communication, media policy, and digital regulation.

The Cabinet changes also come amid broader national debate over the size and structure of Museveni’s executive.

On Thursday, Parliament approved a constitutional amendment expanding the maximum number of Cabinet Ministers from 21 to 30 and Ministers of State from 21 to 51.

The amendment effectively aligned the Constitution with Museveni’s latest Cabinet appointments after government acknowledged it had been operating beyond the constitutional limits.

With the revisions now formally communicated to Parliament, the President’s updated Cabinet list is expected to proceed for vetting and approval under the revised constitutional arrangement.