Who Is Kenneth Akiiri, the Health Administrator Nominated to Head Water and Environment?

What the report says

Kenneth Akiiri, a senior administrator at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, has been nominated to become Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Water and Environment, according to Nile Post. The report says he has spent years in health-sector administration, working on budgeting, donor coordination, finance, operations and other behind-the-scenes duties under Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine.

President Yoweri Museveni named Akiiri among 13 proposed Permanent Secretaries and accounting officers in a reshuffle announced on November 8, 2026. He is set to replace Dr Alfred Okot Okidi, who has led the Water and Environment ministry since 2016. The nomination is not yet final, however, because the Public Service Commission must first assess the designated officers and advise the President before the postings are confirmed.

Nile Post highlighted several public roles that have brought Akiiri into view beyond the Ministry of Health. He represented Uganda in cross-border health-security discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo after the country was declared Ebola-free in 2026, and he has also been involved in correspondence linked to the Lubowa Specialised Hospital project, which has faced scrutiny over audit findings. Separately, he serves as vice chairperson of Uganda’s Country Coordinating Mechanism for the Global Fund.

If confirmed, Akiiri would move from health administration to a ministry responsible for water supply, sanitation, environmental protection, forestry, wetlands and climate-related policy. The appointment would place him in charge of a broad public-service portfolio and test his management experience in a different sector.