Godfrey Kabbyanga, the former Minister of State for National Guidance, says leaving Uganda's cabinet has not ended his involvement in the country's politics. In an interview with NTV Uganda, he said he remains engaged with public life even though he now holds no government office. His remarks were reported on Monday, 2 November 2026.
Kabbyanga lost the National Resistance Movement primaries last year. Unlike some of his colleagues who were defeated in the party contests, he chose not to run as an independent candidate. President Yoweri Museveni removed him from the cabinet in May this year.
Why it matters
Kabbyanga's exit is one of several changes in Uganda's executive over the past year, and his decision not to break with the ruling party after losing a primary is notable. In recent election cycles, some NRM figures who lost party primaries have entered races as independents, sometimes retaining seats and later returning to government ranks. Kabbyanga took a different route, stepping back from the ballot rather than challenging the party's choice.
His comments also touch on how former officeholders in Uganda describe their time in government and what they do after leaving it. Kabbyanga presents his departure as a planned transition rather than a setback, and he frames his current activities around private interests rather than public office. Whether that posture translates into another political role is the open question his interview leaves behind.
No regrets about leaving office
According to NTV Uganda, Kabbyanga said he left his ministerial position without regrets because he believes he contributed to government during his tenure. He also credited President Museveni with giving him the chance to serve as the first person to hold the national guidance portfolio, an office established in 2021.
That detail matters to how Kabbyanga tells his own story. The ministry was new when he took it on, and he describes his appointment as a mark of trust from the president. He did not, in the account reported by NTV Uganda, criticize the decision to drop him from the cabinet.
The former minister also acknowledged that politics in Uganda can be murky, but said that reputation has not persuaded him to walk away from it. He described himself as someone who may be out of office but not finished with political life.
Family, hospitality and cross-border trade
Kabbyanga told NTV Uganda that his attention has shifted to three areas: time with his family, the growth of a hospitality business he owns, and cross-border trade. He did not, in the reported remarks, set out a timeline for any return to elective or appointed office.
The combination is a familiar one for former Ugandan officials, who often move between public service and private enterprise. Hospitality and regional trade both depend on stable cross-border movement and local demand, and Kabbyanga's stated focus places him in the private sector for now.
His choice to sit out the general election as an independent after losing the NRM primary is the clearest signal of how he has handled the period since. Rather than testing his support outside the party structure, he stayed within it and accepted the outcome of the contest.
What to watch: whether Kabbyanga seeks a formal role in the NRM or in government again, and whether his private ventures keep him away from elective politics in the next cycle.
