By Joachim Twino
This evidently is a bad season for powerful government bureaucrats who have always had a bone to pick with Deborah Katuramu. She famously fell out with many big people including Public Service Ministry PS Catherine Birakwate Musingwire and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda when she firmly objected to the readmission of much loathed Victor Nkeramihigo into Public Service and moreover in a promoted capacity. This was late last year and she is finally having the last laugh on her adversaries. Under Rugunda’s pressure, powerful godfathers had insisted on not only allowing Nkeramihigo back but to also ensure he rejoins as Under Secretary yet he had been mere PAS three years earlier when he took up a job at EAC Secretariat Arusha. Katuramu opposed this as anomalous and endured name calling. She put her objection on paper and dared those hiding behind Rugunda’s name to produce written directives to that effect.
EMERGES BIGGER, STRONGER;
At a time foes thought the President was very bitter with her, something very big and of great significant for her professional career came through and it hit haters like thunder. Firstly Katuramu’s views on Nkeramihigo have in the end carried the day as the President last week endorsed onto a list of newly re-deployed Under Secretaries and Nkeramihigo’s name was conspicuously missing. This implies the President bought the Katuramu view and this development leaves those who said Nkeramihigo would only miss over their dead body in a more complicated dilemma. Secondly Katuramu is now the Deputy Head of Public Service under Mzee John Mitala. That also naturally makes her the Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, which is a very influential positions that Museveni can only give to those whose suitability, trust & loyalty to him is beyond reproach. Being up there means, the fellow PSs like Musingwire who have been at logger heads with her will now have no option but to bow to Katuramu’s power and authority. She now has supervisory powers over the PSs and the rest of public service. But the PS job for office of the President now remains vacant as Katuramu’s successor is yet to be named. Reliable sources close to the President say this latest deployment simply means the well tested Katuramu will in the end become the substantive Head Public Service and Secretary to cabinet (for as long as veteran leader Museveni is President) because elderly John Mitala has just a very limited period remaining on his tenure. His contract was only extended late last year for another 24 months as Museveni sought to buy time shopping for a most appropriate successor he is now understood to have found in workaholic Katuramu.
THE NEW BOSSES;
On the list of newly redeployed Under Secretaries is Flavia Waduwa, the long-suffering seasoned lady from Bugisu land. She was Under Secretary (heading administration) at OPM with Pius Bigirimana and went through hell following the Kazinda chaos. She was temporarily posted at Judicial Service Commission from where she was posted to Ministry of Local Government (MoLG) where her tenure was very short lived after Dorcus Okalany, a fellow Mugisu, made it a condition that she would only take up assignment at MoLG as new PS if there was a new Under Secretary who isn’t Waduwa. She was taken to Lands where she had to be removed the moment new Minister Betty Amongin told the President Okalany is the only PS she was comfortable working with this being her first time in cabinet. Waduwa then was on the move once again and was sent to Works where she served for a very short time before being redeployed to ICT Ministry to work with the well-polished new PS Vincent Bagire. Waduwa’s new posting now is the financially wet Ministry of Water. James Kintu, who has been at Foreign Affairs now goes to Local government as new Under Secretary. Daniel Mugulusi has been transferred from East African Affairs Ministry to Public Service Ministry where the belligerent PS Catherine Musingwire has for some time operated without an Under Secretary because of her difficult character. There was hope that Nkeramihigo would qualify and be deployed there as Under Secretary because her husband Mr. Musingwire (who is the Secretary PSC) felt the Arusha-based EAC bureaucrat was someone good enough for his dear spouse (Catherine) to do business with. Grace Choda moves from MoLG to Amelia Kyambadde’s Trade Ministry as Under Secretary. This leaves a few other ministries without Under Secretaries including ICT, MEACA, Foreign Affairs and Simon Lokodo’s Ethics Ministry. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755.
