Every appointment season, West Nile slips back into lamentation mode. Leaders and residents say their push for a Cabinet Minister has again come up short, leaving the sub-region feeling underrepresented at the highest level of government.
Their argument is straightforward: a full Cabinet Minister can influence budget votes and shape service delivery decisions. State Ministers, they say, cannot.
‘They are file carriers because they do not control any vote or even attend cabinet meetings where key decisions are made,’ said former Arua Municipality MP Kassiano Wadri of the Alliance for National Transformation.
For years, President Yoweri Museveni kept Gen. Moses Ali as the sole Cabinet Minister for West Nile’s 13 districts. That link is now gone. Ali was dropped in the latest reshuffle.
Lecturer at Muni University Dr. William Anzo says the new list of six State Ministers does not fix the problem.
‘Their appointment does not solve the problem of critical underrepresentation. Out of the 3.7 million people, many of whom are voters, taxpayers, and patriots-cannot be reduced to only six junior ministers while other sub-regions with smaller populations command multiple full ministers,’ Anzo said. ‘That is not representation; it is tokenism dressed in appointment letters,’ he added.
Anzo said Ali was more than a minister. ‘For decades, Moses Ali was not merely a minister; he was the senior Cabinet face of West Nile. He carried the hopes, the voice, and the representation of West Nile and beyond. When Gen. Ali sat in Cabinet, the sub-region had a heartbeat at the highest table of national decision making… that heartbeat has now gone silent,’ he said.
West Nile has held full Cabinet posts before. Between 1995 and 2001, the region had the late Francis Ayume and Dr Eric Adriko, appointed Minister for Industry and Technology. In 2001, Zoe Bakoko Bakoru became Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development after winning Ayivu County.
During the last campaigns, West Nile leaders asked Museveni for Cabinet, ambassadorial, and permanent secretary appointments, arguing the region has capable, educated people. They also pushed for a dedicated Ministry for West Nile Affairs, similar to Karamoja.
On January 10, 2026, Bakoko presented that case to the President at Muni University. ‘We feel we need special attention. We know you love us and you will do it. We believe it will help us to focus on deliberate rehabilitation for the region,’ she said to applause. Museveni responded: ‘Regarding the status of West Nile as a region, that’s no problem. We shall discuss that and make it regional like we did with Karamoja.’
The response raised hopes. But Tuesday’s appointment of six State Ministers drew mixed reactions.
Dropped were Evelyn Anite, former State Minister for Finance (Privatisation); Gen. Moses Ali, Second Deputy Prime Minister; Mario Obiga Kania, former State Minister for Urban Development; and Dr. Joyce Moriku, former State Minister for Primary Education.
The new appointees are Hudson Oleru, retained as State Minister for Defence (Veteran Affairs); Tom Aza, State Minister for Trade and Industry (Cooperatives); Dr. Charles Ayume, State Minister for Primary Health; Yorke Alioni Odria, Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance (National Guidance); Siraji Musa Ali, State Minister for Works; and Phiona Nyamutoro, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Development (Minerals). The sub-region also had six ministers in the 2021-2026 Cabinet.
Newly appointed Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance, Mr Yorke Alioni Odria thanked the President and pledged to fight corruption through technology.
‘I thank all of you so much for the confidence, hope, and trust bestowed upon me with this new appointment. Being one of the vocal and loud anti-corruption crusaders in Uganda, I promise now to start fighting corruption through technology,’ Odria said.
West Nile Development Association Executive Secretary Moses Akuma Odims welcomed the appointments but flagged the missing Cabinet slot.
‘This gesture is a clear indication that you recognize the capacity, loyalty, and contribution of our region to Uganda’s stability, economy, and unity,’ Odims said.
‘While we appreciate the appointments at State Minister level, we note with concern the continued absence of a substantive Cabinet Minister from West Nile in the new cabinet. Cabinet Ministers hold portfolio responsibility, vote in cabinet decisions, and directly shape policy and resource allocation for their sectors. The absence of a Cabinet Minister means West Nile has no direct voice at the highest decision-making table of government,’ he said.