President Yoweri Museveni has shuffled the deck at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC). Geraldine Ssali, who was recently in hot water for allegedly conspiring with MPs to siphon co-operative funds, has been shown the door. Enter Alex Kakooza, the new Permanent Secretary (PS) who is now in charge of the ministry’s trade ambitions.
On July 18, 2024, Geraldine Ssali found herself in a courtroom drama of her own making. She faced the Anti-Corruption Court, charged with causing financial loss and conspiring with members of Parliament to embezzle cash from co-operatives. It appears that her tenure at MTIC was less about trade and more about dodging courtroom drama.
Not one to let a crisis go unaddressed, Museveni swiftly made a new appointment. Alex Kakooza, previously the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, has now been brought into the trade ministry. The change was announced with all the fanfare of a new reality TV show, complete with an internal memo that could easily double as a script for the next Ugandan big screen feature.
The Big Switch
Kakooza’s appointment was confirmed in an internal memo from Alfred Oyo Andima, the Under Secretary in finance and administration. The memo, dated July 25, 2024, invited the ministry’s top brass to a grand introduction ceremony on July 26, 2024. “The Minister (Francis Mwebesa) has instructed me to invite you for a meeting to introduce and welcome Kakooza,” Andima stated, as if the new PS needed a grand welcome worthy of a visiting celebrity.
A Brief History of Kakooza
Kakooza’s resume reads like a travel guide through Uganda’s bureaucracy. He previously served as the PS in the Ministry of Education before taking a stint at the President’s office as Principal Private Secretary to the Vice-President. It’s as if Kakooza’s career path was designed to test every corner of government administration—perhaps preparing him for the high-stakes game of musical chairs that is Ugandan politics.
Summary of the Appointment
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| New Permanent Secretary | Alex Kakooza |
| Replaced | Geraldine Ssali |
| Charges Against Ssali | Financial loss and conspiracy to embezzle co-operative funds |
| Previous Role of Kakooza | PS at the Ministry of Education and Principal Private Secretary to the Vice-President |
| Date of Memo | July 25, 2024 |
| Date of Introduction Meeting | July 26, 2024 |
