From Bunyangabu to the Cabinet
Mwesige, a lawyer born on 4 April 1966, studied at Nyakasura School in Fort Portal. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre. From 1996 to 2001 he was managing partner at Mwesige, Egunyu & Company Advocates.
He entered Parliament in 1996 as MP for Bunyangabu County, then part of Kabarole District, and held the seat for 25 years. In that time he rose to become one of the NRM government's longest-serving ministers:
Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister
Minister of Local Government, February 2009 to June 2016
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, June 2016 to June 2021
His political career at the ballot box ended in the 2020 NRM primaries, when he lost the Bunyangabu ticket to Davis Kamukama. Out of Cabinet in 2021, he publicly applied for a job at the Uganda Human Rights Commission. Weeks later, in July 2021, Museveni appointed him Clerk to Parliament.
The service award ruling
As Clerk, Mwesige was Parliament's accounting officer, responsible for how it spent its money. That role put him at the centre of the row over the Shs1.7 billion "service award" paid to former Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga and other parliamentary commissioners.
In 2024 the High Court ruled the payment was lawful because Parliament had approved it in the budget as "ex-gratia for political leaders." But the court took issue with the procedure Mwesige followed and directed that disciplinary action be started against him. Mwesige went to court to block the order, arguing he had been condemned without a hearing. On 5 September he withdrew that application by consent. The reasons were never made public.
Office sealed in corruption probe
Mwesige's final year in office was dominated by the investigation into alleged corruption at Parliament under former Speaker Anita Among.
On 19 May 2026, detectives and State House auditors sealed Among's office at Parliament, along with Mwesige's. Investigators reportedly examined administrative and financial records.
In the weeks that followed, opposition MP Olanya alleged that Parliament staff collected money on Among's behalf while Mwesige approved the payments. Mwesige has not been charged, and no formal finding has been made against him.
On 31 July, the Inspectorate of Government directed Mwesige, as Clerk, to interdict seven senior Parliament officials, including Director of Communications Chris Obore. They had been charged with embezzlement and causing financial loss in a case involving about Shs27 billion. The Anti-Corruption Court granted all seven bail in September. Critics questioned why the accounting officer who signed off Parliament's spending was not among those charged.
What next
Damulira's appointment depends on the Public Service Commission's assessment. Until then, Mwesige remains Clerk to Parliament.
