Frank Gashumba on why Muganga considered rejecting ministerial appointment, friendship history

Political and social commentator Frank Gashumba has said Dr Lawrence Muganga is not desperate for a ministerial appointment, contrary to the image portrayed by some sections of the media.

While appearing on Radio 4, Gashumba, a close friend of Muganga, said the academic considered declining the appointment.

Gashumba claimed Muganga was earning a salary comparable to that of a minister while serving as Vice Chancellor of Victoria University, which is owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia.

Frank Gashumba said Muganga only accepted the appointment because he did not want to disrespect President Yoweri Museveni.

He said his friend loves serving people and is a transformer who wanted to contribute to Uganda’s development rather than serve only Abavandimwe.

Gashumba said Muganga joined Victoria University when it had 232 students and helped grow the institution to 12,000 students.

According to Gashumba, Muganga serves as Vice Chairman of the Council for Abavandimwe, where he is the Chairman. He said they have known each other since 1999 when Muganga was studying with his brother, Cyrus Ngarambe.

On May 15, 2025, Dr Lawrence Muganga was among friends that accompanied Gashumba at his Gusaba ceremony at Patience Malaika Mutoni’s home in Ssembabule District.

Gashumba said they met again in 2017 at Sheraton Hotel Kampala and discussed how to fight for the rights of Banyarwanda. He said the Council was later established from those discussions.

He added that Muganga became stuck in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which Ruparelia identified him and appointed him Vice Chancellor of Victoria University.

Dr Muganga was recently appointed Minister of Internal Affairs but was rejected by Parliament’s Appointments Committee over concerns that he held Ugandan, Rwandan and Canadian passports.

Gashumba also said that, “if in your family you don’t have anyone with dual citizenship, it needs prayers because it is doing badly.”

He claimed Muganga would not be the first person to serve as a minister while holding dual citizenship. Gashumba said he could name 15 ministers in a previous Cabinet who had dual citizenship and seven in the current Cabinet.

The newly appointed ministers are expected to be sworn in today. Muganga’s fate remains uncertain.