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Former State Minister-designate for Internal Affairs Dr Lawrence Muganga has accused Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa of discrimination and bias following his rejection by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, escalating a controversy that has drawn attention to issues of citizenship, ethnicity and the ministerial vetting process.
Dr Muganga, who was among President Museveni’s recent Cabinet appointees, made the allegations on Wednesday, 03 June 2026, in a post on X after the committee on Tuesday declined to approve his nomination.
His remarks were in response to Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Secretary General Daudi Kabanda, who had dismissed claims circulating on social media that Dr Muganga was rejected because he is a Munyarwanda.
“Mr Muganga Lawrence was not rejected by the committee for being a Munyarwanda, a narrative I see some people so deceptively selling,” Mr Kabanda wrote.
He argued that Parliament has previously approved several leaders of Banyarwanda heritage, citing State Minister for Water and Environment Aisha Ssekindi and State Minister for ICT and National Guidance Diana Mutasingwa.
According to Mr Kabanda, Dr Muganga’s troubles stemmed from issues related to citizenship disclosures during the vetting process.
“Muganga was not approved after he denied holding a Rwandan passport, but the committee investigations confirmed he holds three passports: Ugandan, Canadian and Rwandan. Why was he denying it?” Mr Kabanda said.
He added that claims linking the rejection to ethnicity were “false, misleading and dangerous.”
However, Dr Muganga strongly rejected the allegations, insisting that he does not possess a Rwandan passport.
“With due respect, I must set the record straight. I do not hold a Rwandan passport. This is a deliberate falsehood introduced by Hon Thomas Tayebwa, and the truth must be told,” Dr Muganga wrote.
He further alleged that his fate had been predetermined before he appeared before the committee.
“We have it on record — Thomas Tayebwa’s own words: ‘In every vetting session we have to fail someone, and this time it had to be you, Dr Muganga.’ Read that again. This rejection was decided before the process even began,” he said.
Dr Muganga claimed he would in due course release an audio recording that he says supports his allegations.
“It was never about passports, qualifications or integrity. It was personal. It was calculated. It was discriminatory. And in due course, we shall release the audio that proves it,” he said.
The educationist and former university vice chancellor also accused the committee of targeting him because of his ethnic background.
“What I experienced in that committee was not parliamentary oversight. It was hatred. It was discrimination. It was racism directed at me simply because I am a Munyarwanda,” he said.
Dr Muganga argued that Banyarwanda are full Ugandan citizens and should not face discrimination.
“We Banyarwanda are Ugandans. We were born here. We pay taxes here. We build institutions here. We have given our lives to serve this nation,” he stated.
The Deputy Speaker had by press time not publicly responded to the latest allegations.
The controversy comes after Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday concluded the vetting of President Museveni’s newly appointed ministers.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Mr Tayebwa said the committee had approved 80 of the 82 nominees who appeared before it.
“We have approved 80 out of the 82 nominees. One is still pending because she has not yet appeared before the committee, while another one we found issues, which we are going to look into and make the final decision before communicating to the appointing authority,” he said.
Although he did not mention the affected nominee by name, it later emerged that Dr Muganga was the candidate whose appointment had been rejected.
The Deputy Speaker also disclosed that citizenship issues featured prominently during the vetting exercise.
“We did a verification with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and discovered that we had three colleagues with dual citizenship and one colleague with multiple citizenship,” Mr Tayebwa said.
He added that the affected nominees had agreed to renounce their foreign citizenships in order to qualify for appointment.
“They have taken a patriotic step of choosing Uganda above all. Some of them have families in those countries, but they have made the painful decision of renouncing their citizenship in other countries,” he said.
The issue of Dr Muganga’s citizenship had surfaced even before the vetting process began.
On May 28, city lawyer and Democratic Front Deputy Secretary General Deric Fredric Namakajo petitioned Parliament seeking to block Dr Muganga’s vetting, arguing that his dual citizenship status made him ineligible for certain public offices under the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Amendment) Act, 2009.
The law restricts holders of dual citizenship from occupying some sensitive state positions unless they meet specific legal requirements.
After appearing before the committee, Dr Muganga acknowledged holding Ugandan and Canadian citizenship but denied being a citizen of Rwanda.
“I am a Munyarwanda by tribe like any other Ugandan tribe, like Muganda or Musoga, but I am not a Rwandese. I am a Ugandan and Canadian,” he told reporters.
“There is no better country than Uganda. Before I became a Canadian, I was a Ugandan, and even if I were to remain with one citizenship, I would choose Uganda. I am proud to be a Ugandan,” he added.
The dispute now sets the stage for a potentially wider debate over citizenship, ethnic identity and eligibility for public office, as attention turns to whether Parliament or the appointing authority will respond to Dr Muganga’s allegations and the promised audio evidence.
For now, the circumstances surrounding his rejection remain contested, with the Appointments Committee citing citizenship concerns while Dr Muganga insists the decision was driven by discrimination and personal bias.
, https://eastafricanwatch.net/dr-muganga-not-happy-with-speaker-tayebwa-as-he-complains-of-bias-after-ministerial-rejection-as-citizenship-row-deepens/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dr-muganga-not-happy-with-speaker-tayebwa-as-he-complains-of-bias-after-ministerial-rejection-as-citizenship-row-deepens
