As Uganda’s newly appointed Cabinet members prepare to take their oath of office today, a bold front-page headline by Daily Monitor has ignited widespread debate across social media.
The newspaper’s lead story, titled “Where Is Janet?”, questions the absence of First Lady and Education Minister-designate Janet Museveni from Parliament’s ministerial vetting process, despite other nominees appearing before the Appointments Committee. According to Daily Monitor, Janet Museveni did not attend the two-day vetting exercise that cleared most of President Yoweri Museveni’s ministerial nominees.
The story has quickly become one of the most discussed political topics on X, formerly Twitter, with many Ugandans questioning why the First Lady has not yet been vetted while the swearing-in ceremony proceeds.
The controversy comes at a time when another ministerial nominee, Dr. Lawrence Muganga, failed to secure parliamentary approval over concerns related to his citizenship status. Muganga’s appointment as State Minister for Internal Affairs was halted after questions emerged regarding his reported citizenship ties to Uganda, Canada, and Rwanda.
Others defended the First Lady, arguing that the public should avoid speculation until official communication is provided regarding her absence.
Several netizens praised Daily Monitor for what they described as courageous journalism. Some argued that the newspaper was performing its watchdog role by asking questions that many Ugandans are already discussing.
However, critics accused the newspaper of sensationalism, saying the headline could create unnecessary speculation in the absence of confirmed information about Janet Museveni’s whereabouts or circumstances.
The debate was further fueled by previous reports noting that Janet Museveni had missed several high-profile public events in recent weeks, prompting recurring questions about her public visibility.
As of Monday morning, neither State House nor Parliament had publicly provided a detailed explanation regarding when the First Lady would appear before the Appointments Committee. The Cabinet is expected to be sworn in with two notable absences, Janet Museveni, whose approval remains pending, and Dr. Lawrence Muganga, whose nomination was not cleared by the committee.
With the swearing-in ceremony now underway, attention remains firmly fixed on one question that has dominated both the newspaper front pages and Uganda’s social media space: Where is Janet?
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