President Yoweri Museveni is preparing a fresh round of changes in the public service, with several Permanent Secretaries expected to be reassigned or moved as part of a wider effort to align government implementation with the priorities of his newly appointed Cabinet.
Uganda has 35 appointed Permanent Secretaries (PS) who serve as the accounting officers across various government ministries, commissions, and key state institutions
Highly placed government sources say the President has turned his attention to the technocrats who run ministries and agencies, with performance assessments expected to play a key role in determining who stays, who moves and who could be assigned to more strategic portfolios.
Government insiders say the President has repeatedly expressed concern about implementation gaps between policy decisions and results on the ground, making performance one of the key considerations in the expected redeployments.
The anticipated reshuffle follows last week’s Cabinet appointments and is expected to focus on delivery of key government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), wealth creation initiatives, industrialisation, export promotion, infrastructure development, digital transformation and revenue mobilisation
According to officials familiar with the discussions, Museveni wants the next phase of government to be driven by results rather than routine administration.
“The President has already put his political team in place. The next step is ensuring that the technical leadership of the government is aligned with the targets of the new term,” a senior government official said.
Sources indicate that several Permanent Secretaries will be fired to pave way for a new crop of officials to run key ministries.
The reshuffle will be based on a review of the progress in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, ICT, energy, transport, trade and local government, which are central to the government’s economic transformation agenda
Whether the reshuffle of permanent secretaries will improve service delivery in Uganda remains highly debated, as success depends on matching administrative changes with systemic anti-corruption measures and sweeping service delivery reforms.
Juliius Mukunda Executive Director of CSBAG argue that reshuffle will bring fresh energy and specialized expertise to key ministries. These moves are specifically designed to strengthen accountability and accelerate service implementation during the administration’s term
The government has signaled a shift to hold leaders accountable by tying job security and tenure in the public service directly to measurable performance indicators. If effectively enforced, this “deliver or leave” standard could drive tangible progress in infrastructure and public
