By Mulengera Reporters
For years, Mrs. Agnes Winnie Kabogoza Musoke, as Public Service Commission Chairperson (2022-2026), didn’t have an exactly excellent relationship with Head Public Service Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, who is also the Secretary to Cabinet.
People at the Kabogoza-led PSC tried to drag their feet on Nakyobe’s contract renewal and were also perceived by people at the Cabinet Secretariat, and also portrayed to the President, as corrupt and very inefficient.
There are several other fundamental things on which Nakyobe and Kabogoza didn’t see eye to eye. Claiming the law was on her side, Kabogoza ignored all advice calling on her to tread carefully while daring to take on Nakyobe. She never listened. She insisted on messing up with Lucy Nakyobe and she in the end has had to find out.
She overlooked the fact that Nakyobe is a blue-eyed girl, who the President trusts more than anyone else on matters of public service.
When it became clear that Nakyobe is the one who was going to handle the whole process of determining the new PSC membership, following the incumbents’ expiry in July, people in the Kabogoza universe resorted to arguing how the power to nominate PSC members rested with the Minister of Public Service and not Nakyobe.
Their argument was that the Minister forwards those names to the President who, if pleased, proceeds to appoint the new Commissioners subject to approval by Parliament. It was hoped this is the path the President would follow. He didn’t. Instead, the big man from Rwakitura agreed with Nakyobe’s view that there was need for an independent committee to look through the whole thing and do a report advising on the suitability of such nominees.
In fact, the Minister of Public Service was disregarded. The nominated names were forwarded to the independent committee which had the likes of the Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, the IGG, the Attorney General and a few others.
These are the ones who came up with a comprehensive report most of whose recommendations the President accepted. Their report disfavored the reappointment of Kabogoza who was increasingly perceived as defiant and inefficient. Instead they agreed with the Nakyobe view favoring total overhaul at the Farmers House-based PSC.
The problem was majorly with Kabogoza but other PSC members had to become collateral and go to shield the appointing authority against being perceived as targeting her personally. That’s how all the other members were purged so that the country is able to wholly turn a page at the PSC.
The members of the Kabogoza camp had their situation become even more complicated when some of them tried to argue that sidelining the Minister of Public Service was irregular and amounted to Nakyobe being permitted to choose her own supervisors. This was contentious too because people at Cabinet Secretariat never adhered to assertions that the PSC ought to have any supervisory powers over the Head public service.
Matters were further complicated over the fact that even Catherine Musingwire Birakwate, the powerful PS Ministry of Public Service based at Wandegeya, wasn’t comfortable with the Kabogoza-led status quo at PSC. This had to do with the perceived mistreatment of her husband Frank Musingwire who serves as Deputy Secretary to PSC.
His immediate boss is Dr Mbabazi who the Kabogoza apex leadership tolerated mistreating and sidelining his deputy. Kabogoza had been expected to weigh in to ensure that the Commission Secretary Mr. Mbabazi doesn’t marginalize his deputy, which she reneged to do and thereby failing to retain the support of her powerful line PS.
So, upon being convinced that Kabogoza was past her sale-by-date, President Museveni went on to appoint a totally new Commission at PSC. This is well illustrated in his letter of 30th August 2026. It was copied to the VP, PM, Public Service Minister and the AG Dr. Sam Mayanja.
THE NEW PSC BOSSES:
Vicent Seruma, a communications expert who for many years served as Assistant Commissioner at URA inside the Commissioner General’s office since the days of Allen Kagina, has been appointed to the position of PSC Chairman, effectively replacing Kabogoza. A few years ago, Seruma had retired from URA at the time Doris Akol was serving as the CG.
Seruma, whose appointment has surprised many people about how Gen Museveni deploys his cadres, will be deputized by Jane Sanyu Mpagi.
Other members include Dr. Hanifa Naamala Ssengendo (who is the wife of NUP ex-Kawempe North MP Latif Ssebaggala), Dr. Anthony Taabu Munyaho, Florence Mugoya Malinga, Dr. Opio Alex Achol, Kenneth Namboga Madete, Patrick Ngolobe and Mrs. Mauda Nora Mugisha.
In case the Appointments Committee of Parliament drags its feet and blocks some nominees, as opposed to unanimously approving all of them, President Museveni added two ‘reserve’ names viz; Sine Paul Claudia and Dr. Mackay Akoori Ecuman Okure.
Created under the 1995 Constitution, the PSC is mandated with recruitment, promotion, demotion and disciplining of civil servants for and on behalf of the GoU. Being appointed member of the PSC is therefore a lucrative posting, which the President doesn’t make lightly. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
