M7 FINALLY NAMES NEW 12 AIDS COMMISSIONERS

By John V Sserwaniko

President Museveni has finally named a new team at governing Board level to revamp the operations of Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) that stalled since the departure of Dr. Christine Ondoa. A former Minister of Health, Ondoa served and moved on at expiry of her contract. However, for much of the time she was there she endured wars with her then boss Prof V Nantulya who many hitherto considered to be a seasoned corporate leader. However, the wars with Ondoa greatly demoralized everybody including the President before whom Ondoa & Nantulya used to quarrel like kids. Museveni, in whose President’s office UAC falls, consequently became very frustrated which partly explains why it has taken him all this time (almost two years) to appoint a new team. Its also true that some of the people the big man had reached out to asking them to replace Ondoa & Nantulya would decline because of the little salary but also because they were uncomfortable being supervised by a belligerent Minister like Mbayo.

On the new UAC team is Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng serving as Borard vice Chairperson. There is also Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze as a member of the new Board and she is substantively Dean Makerere University School of Public Health. Wanyenze, who seems to be rapidly a rising star career-wise, is also a board member of the Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG). Mbayo, who has personal beef against Jane Ruth Aceng who wants UAC mandate transferred to the MOH, is expected to finalize the appointments as so ordered by the President in the coming few days. Out of necessity, the new Board’s first assignment will be recruiting the Director General to fill the vacuum left behind by workaholic Ondoa. We at Mulengera news website wish the new team good luck. To comment on this & other Mulengera news stories, reach us on 0703164755!