KAMPALA — Newly appointed State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere has revealed that she was caught completely off guard by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s decision to appoint her to Cabinet, describing the moment as both shocking and humbling.
Speaking during an appearance on the Barometer programme on NBS Television shortly after the new Cabinet was announced, Nameere said she had not anticipated being elevated to the executive.
“I was not expecting a ministerial appointment in the new Cabinet. I am extremely humbled, shocked, and grateful,” Nameere said during the televised discussion.
The Masaka City Woman MP added that President Museveni had never hinted to her at any point that she would be appointed minister.
“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had never hinted at the appointment at any point,” she said.
Nameere was named State Minister for Local Government in the sweeping Cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday evening, joining the government just days after surviving a politically turbulent period that included her controversial arrest by security operatives in Masaka shortly after her swearing-in as Member of Parliament.
The outspoken legislator will serve under Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara in the new administration.
During the same television appearance, Nameere pledged to use her new office to fight corruption and promote fairness in local governance, particularly in land disputes and evictions affecting vulnerable communities.
“I want to ensure that there is equal application of the law for all Ugandans. The poor should not suffer simply because they do not have money or influence,” she said.
Nameere’s appointment has drawn significant public attention, with supporters describing it as a reward for loyalty and grassroots mobilisation within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
A former television presenter and lawyer, Nameere entered Parliament after a contentious Masaka City Woman MP race that was eventually settled through a court-ordered vote recount.