There are indicators that the ICT State Minister Aidah Nantaba could have lost appetite for cabinet positions. And this has sparked speculation among colleagues that she might even be pondering resignation in case President Museveni doesn’t shortly carry out reshuffle and relieve her of her duties. Firstly Nantaba is understood to be unhappy with the Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda’s tendency of designating Chris Baryomunsi the acting information minister each time Frank Tumwebaze is unavailable. “In this term of cabinet she has been among the most laid back ministers and she clearly looks indifferent and deliberately detached. Even in Cabinet, she rarely contributes. In Parliament, during plenary meetings, it’s even worse because she often sits at the back with like-minded back benchers like Monica Amoding,” a knowledgeable source said of Nantaba.
It’s also said that the President has never quite appreciated the circumstances under which Nantaba found herself absent and unable to vote for the Magyezi Bill that resulted into the scrapping of age limits in the Constitution December last year. The fact that her well known adversary Parsis Namuganza is seemingly having a good time at Lands must be another source of emotional torment for the once very powerful Nantaba aka Mama Kayunga. It should also be recalled that right from day one, Nantaba was a very assertive back bencher who actually was made minister after both Museveni and Amama Mbabazi (then very powerful Prime Minister) agreed it was the best way to shield and prevent her from flocking with rebellious back benchers of the 10th parliament like Mohammed Nsereko, Barnabas Tinkasimire, Theodore Sekikubo, Wilfred Niwagaba and others. Some have even claimed that her original political orientation, before becoming Kayunga woman MP in 2011, was UYD. Even at the ICT Ministry, she is always on her own frolic and she is rarely that much enthusiastic about work.
