By Brian Mugenyi
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Kampala: As President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni prepares to appoint a new team of Permanent Secretaries to lead government ministries, a fresh debate is unfolding over the possible return of former Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali to public service.
At the centre of the debate is a clash of narratives — between critics questioning her record and supporters who argue that she has been targeted because of her position on accountability, transparency, and protection of Uganda’s cooperative wealth.
Supporters of Ssali have raised concerns over what they describe as attempts to block her comeback, pointing to recent legal and public developments that they believe have contributed to a negative public perception around her name.
They allege that while some matters connected to Hon. Paul Akamba faced delays amid concerns about access to justice and human rights, later legal developments moved at a much faster pace, raising questions among some stakeholders about the timing and motivation behind the process.
They further claim that the legal developments have been accompanied by a smear campaign aimed at weakening Ssali’s reputation at a time when the President is considering senior government appointments.
However, beyond the political contestavtion, the debate has opened a wider national conversation about public leadership, accountability, and the protection of institutions built by ordinary Ugandans.
For Ssali’s supporters, her story cannot be separated from Uganda’s long-running cooperative movement — a sector that has for decades carried the dreams of farmers seeking economic independence and better livelihoods.
One of the strongest examples of this cooperative heritage is the Masaka Cooperative Union (MCU), located within Masaka City.
Initially registered as a growers’ cooperative organization, the Union was established primarily to market coffee produced by its affiliated societies. Over the years, as guided by its members, MCU expanded into other enterprises aimed at strengthening the economic position of farmers.
Registered in 1951 under Registration Number 389, Masaka Cooperative Union grew into one of the important pillars of Uganda’s cooperative movement.
The Union comprises 243 affiliated primary societies, with more than 140 active societies, while revival efforts continue across the Greater Masaka region — including Masaka, Sembabule, Rakai, Kyotera, Kalangala, Kalungu, Bukomansimbi, and Lwengo districts.
Its central mission remains focused on making coffee production more rewarding for farmers through improved incomes, stronger market access, and better livelihoods.
Supporters of Ssali argue that protecting such cooperative institutions requires leaders willing to confront difficult questions around asset ownership, accountability, and the future of farmer-based organizations.
Uganda’s cooperative sector has historically faced significant challenges, including asset losses, governance disputes, compensation disagreements, and struggles over the management of properties accumulated through generations of cooperative effort.
One of the most debated cooperative assets has been Farmers House, which cooperative leaders have continued to regard as a symbol of collective farmer investment.
Those backing Ssali say defending cooperative assets placed her in difficult territory, where decisions affecting billions of shillings and national institutions attracted competing interests.
They argue that many challenges facing the cooperative movement existed long before her leadership period and should be examined through evidence, official records, audits, and lawful investigations rather than political narratives.
As the appointment process continues, the Ssali debate has grown beyond one individual. It has become a national discussion about whether public servants who push institutional reforms should be judged on documented performance and national interest.
Observers note that Permanent Secretaries remain critical drivers of government programmes, responsible for translating policy into action and ensuring public resources create value for citizens.
For Ssali’s supporters, the question is whether competence, experience, and commitment to public service will outweigh political battles surrounding her name.
As Uganda enters another phase of administrative appointments, the cooperative question remains central: who protects the wealth created by ordinary citizens, and who ensures that institutions built by farmers continue serving future generations?
The unfolding debate around Geraldine Ssali therefore represents a much larger struggle — the fight for accountability, institutional integrity, and the future of Uganda’s cooperative economy.
