Persons with Disability under their umbrella organization the National union of Disabled persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) have joined the Karimajong in expressing anger over the new cabinet appointment saying that it excluded disability persons from sharing the national ‘’cake “. This as the president recently appointed Adrian Tibaleka as the Minister of State for the Elderly and Disability.
Florence Nayiga, the last PWD appointed to cabinet (August 1998 – June 2006)
The disability persons while at their offices in Kisasi said that being that in the president’s new cabinet there is no single person with disability other groups of organizations and individuals will also neglect them for jobs. One of the persons with disability under NUDIPU, Yona Waswa said that disability persons were last catered for in the 1998 cabinet which had Florence Nayiga as minister for Elderly and disability and he based on this ground to demand the president to give an answer to the disability persons on the criteria he uses while appointing ministers without considering persons with disability. Waswa said that the president should accord persons with disability the same treatment while carrying out appointments for different posts in government.
The Executive Director the National Union of disability persons of Uganda Edson Ngirabakuzi said that disability persons have five representatives in parliament from whom the appointing authority should have picked one, or consulting NUDIPU to point at the good disability person with the qualifications wanted. Ngirabakuzi said that the appointing authority has for long neglected disability persons for ministerial, permanent secretary, RDCs and Ambassador posts.
Also the women with disability under NUDIPU and the National union of women with Disabilities of Uganda Esther Kyozira and Rose Achayo respectively complain that of the over 13 women in the new ministerial appointments there is no one with disability yet women with disability have supported the NRM government since 1987.
The disability persons say that they want to meet the president to voice their concerns since they have 12.5% population on the national population.