Ugandans are reacting on reports that new UEDCL MD Joselynne Rwakakooko Rwabwogo is Janet Museveni relative, with discussions centring on if Joselynne Rwakakooko Rwabwogo got the interim job offer because of her qualifications or first family connections. Stella Marie Biwaga Cingtho, the newly appointed Interim Board Chairperson for the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), announced the appointment of Joselynne Rwakakooko Rwabwogo as the new acting UEDCL MD.
Joselynne Rwakakooko Rwabwogo now replaces Paul Mwesigwa who was sent on forced leave, in a shake up that was announced by energy and mineral development minister Ruth Nankabirwa, who also fired Lydia Ochieng Obbo as UEDCL board chairperson.
Although her biographical details are still scanty, Joselynne Rwakakooko Rwabwogo has been linked to the first family, with some reports claiming that she is the daughter of Elly Rwakakooko, who is said to a cousin to Janet Museveni, the Ugandan first lady, and minister of education and sports. Elly Rwakakooko was the commissioner general of tax body Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from 1997 to 2000.
Rwakakooko’s link to the first family has been a question of discussion, with Ugandans online expressing mixed reactions.
Youth and children affairs minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, commenting via microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), seemed to suggest that the link with first family alongside credentials “means organization [UEDCL] in correct and proper hands.”
Former prime minister Ruhakana Rugunda’s son Kwame Rugunda called for a “balance this analysis by also considering her credentials and their suitability for the role.” People with views similar to Kwame’s on this matter argued that Joselynne Rwakakooko is professionally competent, have years of experience and possesses the requisite qualifications.
“The beauty of it, she is been in the systems as a qualified person not picked from faraway, let’s give her a chance to try her exposure too and leave out negatives for being related to 1st lady,” wrote a one @TuryahirwaPatr3.
Joel Mwesiga wrote: “She is competent. She needs experienced advisors to back her up. UEDCL was a small entity that needs expertise to do better than Umeme.”
“The bother is: was the selection process competitive enough? It will start with acting MD, and finally substantive MD? Make the selection process public competition,” wrote Joseph Okalebo.
But others claimed that the appointment was laced with tribalism.
Responding to Kwame’s earlier comment, Tony Natif wrote: “Kwame, to be fair, there’s lots of Ugandans with similar or even better credentials but what they don’t have is that testicular lottery win. It doesn’t help to lie to the world that the new boss at UEDCL somehow got there because and only because of her “credentials”. We already have been through this with Jennifer Bamuturaki and Uganda Airlines. We all saw how she $tunk up the joint and now y’all can’t touch her with a barge pole. Let’s not try and hide alleged nepotism behind ‘credentials.’”
“Qualified or not, aren’t there other people that are qualified, NRM Regime is yet to do appointments that reflect National Tribes in line with the Uganda Constitution. One of the pillars of Dictatorial Governments is Sectarianism and Tribalism,” wrote a one Prince Walugembe.
“But in a country where the ‘family tree’ often looks like the ‘payroll,’ can we ever trust that this was a merit based promotion and not just a pre-arranged landing spot? Does your surname matter more than your CV in 2026?” opined Japheth Godwin Walakira.
We witness a systemic abandonment of da 1986 promises, marking a deliberate shift away 4rm da core pillars of da NRM 10-Point.
“We witness a systemic abandonment of the 1986 promises, marking a deliberate shift away from the core pillars of the NRM 10-Point,” wrote Kamya Kasozi. “Right now meritocracy is being sacrificed for patronage, as parastatal and security top positions are becoming exclusive clubs for ethnic and family networks.”
You can read more about Rwakakooko, and new UEDCL Board boss Here and There.
