Politics 12 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda's Bloated Cabinet: A Sign of Political Corruption, Not Efficiency
Uganda's Cabinet and public sector have expanded exponentially since 1995, with the current Parliament size also being one of the largest globally. This unchecked growth is argued to be a form of political corruption rather than a strategy for improved service delivery. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/commentary/bloated-cabinet-is-a-form-of-political-corruption--5494778
The expansion of Uganda’s Cabinet, a trend observed since the 1995 Constitution, has reached staggering proportions. What began with a relatively modest 41 ministers has ballooned to 82, a growth mirrored across the entire public sector.
Beyond the Cabinet, the number of presidential advisors has surged from around a dozen to over a hundred, with appointments often seemingly tied to political appeasement rather than genuine need. For instance, advisors have been appointed for issues as specific as “poverty in Ruhweju District” or “Ruharo affairs.”
This expansion in the Executive is matched by a bloated Legislature. Uganda’s Parliament, now comprising 529 elected Members of Parliament plus ex-officio ministers, is one of the largest in the world relative to its population and geographic size. The parliamentary chambers themselves are now too small to accommodate the current number of MPs.
Further contributing to the sector’s size is the near four-fold increase in districts since 1991, leading to more administrative and political positions. The official justification for this growth – improved service delivery – is challenged as a hollow argument.
Examples abound where the separation of offices has not led to better outcomes, such as the justice docket, where a separate Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, alongside increased judicial staff, have not demonstrably improved access to justice, but have coincided with increased corruption.
The structure of ministries also appears inefficient, with multiple deputy ministers for single portfolios. Special interest groups, like the army, workers, youth, and elderly, have dedicated representatives in Parliament, often seen as avenues for elite access and patronage.
Appointments to these positions are increasingly framed as “welfare” or a means to accommodate potential political dissenters and appease constituencies. This practice, critics argue, is a clear instance of political corruption, disguised as patronage, enabling President Museveni to maintain power through the distribution of opportunities and the mollification of potential troublemakers.