Lango leaders disappointed over exclusion from permanent secretary appointments

10 November 2026, 10:44 am

By Walter Okello

A section of leaders in Lango have expressed disappointment over the reshuffle of permanent secretaries by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, which did not see anyone from the Lango sub-region appointed to any of the positions.

Speaking to Voice of Lango FM, Chris Ongom, former UPC party vice-chairperson for Lango and former head of the UPC campaign team in the sub-region, said that during previous presidential campaigns, President Museveni had promised the people of Lango that he would consider them for senior government positions and offices.

Ongom said the exclusion of Lango from the appointments demonstrated that the President had not listened to the region’s concerns.

However, he urged the people of Lango to speak with one voice and present their concerns to the President so that the region could be considered in future appointments.

He added that another meeting would soon be organised, bringing together Lango cultural leaders, Members of Parliament, religious leaders and other stakeholders to discuss the matter and make a unified appeal.

Lira District Woman Member of Parliament Linda Agnes Auma, who is also the NRM chairperson for Lira District, questioned why no one from the Lango sub-region had been appointed as a permanent secretary.

Auma said that when President Museveni visited Lango during the election campaigns, regional leaders met him at the home of Ambassador Joseph Ocwet and presented a list of people from the sub-region whom they wanted considered for various senior government positions.

Prof. Willy Okullu, Prime Minister of the Lango Cultural Institution, said the appointments had also left them disappointed.

However, he noted that Lango remains part of Uganda and that the community would wait for another opportunity when the President makes further appointments.

Patrick Ogwang Obura, Chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group, said the development was disappointing because it suggested that the country’s strategy for equitable representation in national leadership positions was not being properly implemented.

Ogwang Obura said Lango leaders would meet the President to present their concerns, expressing hope that the next round of appointments would include people from the Lango sub-region.

Pollar Awich, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Director of External Affairs and Director of Mobilisation in the Diaspora, who also headed President Museveni’s campaign in Lango, said the people of Lango had overwhelmingly supported the President, giving him approximately 85 per cent of their votes.

He expressed hope that the region would be considered in the next round of appointments.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni recently announced the appointment of 13 people as permanent secretaries in various government ministries.

The ministries affected include the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Ministry of Public Service, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others.

However, no one from the Lango sub-region was included in the latest list of appointments.