#Profile: From military service and healthcare to national politics, Hon. Fred Byamukama has built a diverse career in public service. The Bugangaizi West MP currently serves as Minister of Works and Transport and is also Kakumiro NRM District Chairperson. Born in Kikwaya Village, he attended Kikwaya Primary School and Mandela Secondary School before training as a health professional. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Anaesthesia from Busitema University, alongside nursing qualifications from Mulago. A former UPDF Lieutenant, Byamukama is known for his interest in agriculture and commercial farming, which he promotes as a pathway to household income growth.
#profile:A physician, public health specialist and demographer, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has built a rare career that bridges medicine, academia and politics, culminating in his appointment as Uganda’s Minister of Health in 2026.
Born on December 9, 1969, in Murama Village, Nyakishenyi, now Kanungu District, to the late Aloysius Mpungirehe and Rosaria Kamayangi, Baryomunsi attended Kayungwe Primary School and St. Paul’s Seminary, Kabale.
He earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from Makerere University in 1995, followed by postgraduate studies in demography, HIV/AIDS management and a PhD in Public Health.
He has represented Kinkizi East County in Parliament since 2006 and previously served as State Minister of Health, State Minister for Housing, and Minister for ICT and National Guidance.
Known for his expertise in HIV/AIDS, maternal health and population studies, Baryomunsi advocates for disease prevention, health sector reforms and community development initiatives.
#Profile : After succeeding her father, veteran politician Sam Kutesa, as Mawogola North MP in a fiercely contested political battle, Hon. Shartsi Musherure emerged as one of the most closely watched figures in Uganda’s ruling NRM party.
A lawyer by profession, Musherure was recently appointed Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Micro-Finance).
Born Shartsi Nayebare Kutesa, she is the daughter of former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa and Jennifer Nankunda Kutesa, and the twin sister of Charlotte Kainerugaba, wife of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
She holds two law degrees, including a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Cornell Law School. In 2021, she won the Mawogola North parliamentary seat after defeating President Museveni’s brother, Godfrey Aine Kaguta (Sodo), in a highly contested NRM primary. After withdrawing from the 2025 NRM primaries in the interest of party unity, she was appointed to Cabinet in May 2026. She advocates for wealth creation, microfinance, women’s empowerment and rural economic development.
In February 2018, Dr. Swizen Kyomuhendo, then a senior lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration (SWASA) at Makerere University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), came under public scrutiny following an undercover investigation by NBS Television.
The exposé allegedly showed Kyomuhendo discussing sexual favours with a female student, identified as “Eunice,” in exchange for clearing her missing examination marks. Several other female students reportedly made similar allegations of sexual harassment and “sex-for-marks” practices against him.
Following the report, Makerere University directed him to submit a written response by March 1, 2018. Kyomuhendo denied the allegations, claiming he had been set up and entrapped. However, university management found his initial explanation unsatisfactory.
The then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, suspended him with immediate effect, barred him from accessing the campus and interacting with students, and ordered him to hand over university property and examination scripts. A five-member committee was subsequently appointed to investigate the allegations.
#Profile :In 2013, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi suffered a personal tragedy when he lost his first son to cancer, a loss that shaped his outlook on life and public service.
Popularly known as Balaam, he is Uganda’s Minister of Local Government, appointed by President Yoweri Museveni on 26 May 2026, succeeding Raphael Magyezi. Born on 28 July 1979 at Mbarara Hospital, he is the son of the late Engineer David Balaam Byenkya Akiiki of Kijura, Masindi District, and Gladesi Byenkya Abwooli of Kalisizo. He lost his father in 1991 and is the fifth of 14 children.
Balaam attended Namasagali School, St. John Bosco Secondary School and Original Progressive Secondary School, Bweyogerere, before earning a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing from Makerere University and an MBA in Marketing from Cavendish University Uganda. In 2023, he received an honorary Doctorate in Humanity.
A prominent entrepreneur, Balaam is the CEO of the Balaam Group of Companies, with interests in entertainment, events promotion, broadcasting, real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, agriculture and telecommunications distribution in Uganda and South Sudan. In 2022, President Museveni commissioned his five-star hotel in Masindi.
Before his appointment as Local Government Minister, he served as Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Children and Youth Affairs) from March 2024. A member of the NRM and a youth mobiliser associated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), Balaam has pledged to strengthen accountability, improve service delivery and fight corruption in local governments.
He is a father of three and combines business experience with grassroots political mobilisation.
#Profile : Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero began her career as a medical officer and steadily rose through Uganda’s health sector, serving as Medical Superintendent of Lira Hospital in 1997, hospital director, and later Director General of Health Services from 2011 to 2016.
Born on 11 May 1968 in Atapara Village, Oyam District (then part of Lira District), she attended Shimoni Demonstration School in Kampala and Nabisunsa Girls’ School for her O- and A-Level education. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), a Master of Medicine in Paediatrics, and a Master of Public Health from Makerere University, as well as a Diploma in Health Systems Management from Israel.
A senior consultant paediatrician, public health specialist and politician, Aceng served as Uganda’s Minister of Health from June 2016 to 2026, leading the country through major health challenges while championing community health, universal health coverage and evidence-based policymaking.
Following the 2026 elections, she was sworn in as Government Chief Whip and Woman Member of Parliament for Lira City.
Married to Dr. Andrew Ocero, she is a mother of three and a grandmother. A longstanding NRM leader, Aceng is widely recognised for her technical expertise and distinguished service in Uganda’s public health sector.
#Profile : A certified Mining and Petroleum Engineer with extensive experience in Uganda’s oil, gas, mining, and infrastructure sectors, Engineer Jonard Asiimwe Akiki was appointed Minister in the Office of the President in charge of Science, Technology and Innovation in 2026 for the 2026–2031 term. He is recognized for combining technical expertise, business leadership, and political mobilization in advancing Uganda’s development agenda.
Asiimwe holds an Executive Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Governance and Management, a Master’s degree in Project Management from the University of Liverpool, and is pursuing a PhD in Oil and Gas Stakeholders Engagement. His professional career includes roles with major infrastructure firms such as Mota-Engil and service as Executive Director of Jonard Conglomerate Investments Ltd.
A native of Hoima City and a member of the Betok clan, Asiimwe has also played prominent leadership roles within the National Resistance Movement (NRM), serving as NRM Chairman for Hoima City and NRM Vice Chairperson for Western Uganda. He currently chairs the Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers Uganda.
As Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Asiimwe has prioritized promoting innovation, protecting patents and intellectual property for Ugandan inventors, advancing space technology initiatives, and supporting creatives and innovators through government funding. He is regarded as a strong advocate for science-driven development, industrialization, and youth-led innovation in Uganda.
#Profile: After serving in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and rising to the rank of Major in military intelligence, Jessica Rose Epel Alupo was appointed Uganda’s ninth Vice President on 21 June 2021 by President Yoweri Museveni. She became the second woman to hold the office after Specioza Wandira Kazibwe and was reappointed for the 2026–2031 term following parliamentary approval in May 2026.
Born on 23 May 1974 in Katakwi District, eastern Uganda, Alupo attended Apuuton Primary School, Kangole Girls School for her O-Level education, and Ngora High School for A-Level studies. Before joining the military, she trained as a school canteen attendant. She later completed an officer cadet course at the Uganda Junior Staff College in Jinja and pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Political Science from Makerere University in 1997. She also holds a Diploma in Public Administration and Management, a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Management.
Alupo transitioned from military service to politics, serving as State Minister for Youth in 2009, Minister of Education and Sports from 2011 to 2016, and Katakwi District Woman Member of Parliament. As Education Minister, she championed reforms aimed at improving access to and the quality of education. She has also served in academic leadership roles, including as Deputy Chancellor of Karamoja Peace and Technology University.