Parliament’s Appointments Committee has vetted Juma Witonze Kisekka for the position of Minister of State for Internal Affairs, moving him closer to a docket that has stood vacant since the collapse of Dr. Lawrence Muganga’s nomination.
The session was chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth, who heads the committee under the Constitution and is deputised by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
Speaking shortly after his appearance before the committee, Witonze expressed gratitude to the president and the Patriotic League of Uganda leadership.
“I want to thank the president and PLU chairman Gen. Muhoozi for entrusting me with this mandate. I am humbled,” Witonze said.
Witonze serves as the National Resistance Movement vice chairperson for Gomba District and coordinates PLU activities in the Greater Mpigi region. He is a prominent gold dealer with business networks in Uganda and beyond, and previously sought election to the East African Legislative Assembly. On his X profile, he describes himself as an international law and etiquette expert.
His nomination follows the committee’s rejection of Muganga, the vice chancellor of Victoria University, over his citizenship status. Parliament declined to approve Muganga’s candidature on grounds of multiple citizenships and his failure to provide documentary evidence that he had initiated the formal renunciation process when he appeared before the committee. Reports have linked him to Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan citizenship. The matter was subsequently referred back to President Museveni as the appointing authority, and Rwanda has since approved Muganga’s citizenship renunciation.
The appointment adds another PLU official to Cabinet. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as PLU chairman, is also Chief of Defence Forces. PLU figures welcomed the move, with general secretary Fadil Twalla and Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara publicly congratulating Witonze.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, headed by Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, supervises key institutions including the Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service, and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control.
On Monday, it emerged that the president had selected Kisekka to fill the vacant position, with his name transmitted to Parliament for approval.
