Social media users in Uganda are in shock after the State Minister for Investment and Privatization, Evelyn Anite mysteriously removed a profile picture featuring President Museveni from her X (formerly Twitter) platform after a stormy meeting in Kyankwanzi on corruption-related matters.
The Minister also updated her account bio to read “This is the official account of AnitE,” contrary to the previous bio that had her title as State Minister and reportedly flew to Canada for a vacation with her husband Allan Kajik, the Deputy Head of Uganda’s Mission in Toronto.
Anite, who has been in the firestorm for squeezing Uganda Investment Authority top bosses over the shs 500m service award and vowing to expose the corrupt is said to have received a stern from the Commander in Chief during a cabinet retreat at Kyankwanzi to stay away from the media.
TrumpetNews, a local media outlet on Tuesday reported how the “President responding to the loud-mouthed Minister said, there are agencies created to investigate and subsequently prosecute the corrupt not social media buzz.”
The President emphasised that government agencies are designated to investigate and handle allegations of corruption, and public exposure could undermine these processes.
During the Kyankwanzi cabinet retreat, the President reiterated his warning, advising the official against airing internal government issues in public forums and specifically cautioning against using social media to comment on corruption.
Sources indicate that the President’s admonishments were intended to preserve the integrity of governmental procedures and maintain public trust in official channels of investigation.
And following the retreat, the minister surprisingly made noticeable changes to its social media presence. She previously had a profile picture featuring the President which she removed, and updated the account description from indicating the ministerial (Hon Minister) role to a more neutral statement reading “This is the official account of AnitE,”
These actions have fuelled speculation about the official’s future in government, particularly given the lack of a parliamentary constituency and the increasing difficulty of securing a ministerial appointment.
Observers suggest that these developments may signal an impending exit from the government for the official, whose continued defiance of Presidential warnings could jeopardize their political standing.
The President’s response to this situation reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that allegations of corruption are handled through appropriate channels, thereby safeguarding the credibility and effectiveness of governmental oversight mechanisms.
Journalist Andrew Kyamagero the first to react to the change in the Minister’s social media account posted saying Anite is simply “holed up in Canada where she is on leave.”
