Lango’s 85% NRM Support Fails to Secure Permanent Secretary Position for Two Terms

What the report says

Leaders in Uganda’s Lango Sub-region are divided over President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s latest appointments of Permanent Secretaries, after the area again failed to secure a post in the new round of senior civil service changes. The discussion centers on whether Lango has been overlooked despite strong support for the ruling National Resistance Movement, or whether representation should not be judged only by ethnic or regional balancing.

Lira City East Division MP Denis Alyela Omodi argued that Lango has gone two consecutive government terms without a Permanent Secretary, covering the 2021–2026 and 2026–2031 periods. He said the sub-region had delivered more than 84% of its votes to the NRM and won 18 parliamentary seats in the 12th Parliament, yet still did not receive one of the influential administrative roles. He also pointed to what he described as a pool of educated and experienced professionals from the area.

Otuke East MP Julius Acon Bua took a different view, saying government appointments should not be assessed only through tribal or regional expectations. He noted that Uganda has many ethnic groups and said it would be unrealistic to expect every area to be represented in each appointment cycle. According to the report, Museveni appointed 13 new Permanent Secretaries on November 8, with the appointments dated November 5 and made under Article 174(2) of the 1995 Constitution.

The positions span key ministries and institutions, including the Office of the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Public Service and Parliament. The changes are presented as part of efforts to strengthen leadership and improve delivery of government programmes.