President Museveni has appointed former 2016 presidential candidate John Patrick Mr Amama Mbabazi as a Special Envoy to South Sudan and Ethiopia.
According to sources, Museveni last month directed his Principal Private Secretary, Dr Kenneth Omona, to work with the President’s Office and Public Service Commission (PSC) to formalise Mr Mbabazi’s appointment.
On September 29, Dr Omona wrote on behalf of the President, instructing the permanent secretary in the Office of the President, Hajj Yunus Kakande, to handle the matter with PSC which is supposed to issue Mr Mbabazi’s instruments.
A senior official at PSC yesterday explained that the reference to personal-to-holder proviso, meant that Mr Mbabazi’s pay would be determined on his experience, qualifications, and all characteristics that are taken into account when a person is being evaluated for a promotion.
President Museveni and Mr Mbabazi had fell out due to power struggle after former premier tried to eye for the presidential seat for his boss which even forced Museveni to sack him as prime minister on September 18, 2014 following a long silent power struggle between them.
During the National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Executive Committee meeting at Namboole in 2015, Mr Mbabazi was removed as the party’s secretary general and replaced with Justin Kasule Lumumba.
In the run up to the 2016 elections, Mr Mbabazi contested against President Museveni as an independent in 2016 and got 1.3 percent of the votes.
However during the January 2021 General Election, Mr Mbabazi announced that he had rejoined President Museveni and that he was returning to the mainstream NRM for an active role in the party’s affairs.
Special envoy is part of public diplomacy that seeks to broaden diplomatic horizons by gathering diplomatic capabilities on behalf of the nation and the president.