The Appointments Committee of Parliament has rejected the nomination of Victoria University Vice Chancellor Dr Lawrence Muganga as State Minister for Internal Affairs following concerns over his citizenship status during vetting held on Tuesday.
The decision marks one of the most closely watched outcomes of the latest ministerial approvals.
Multiple sources indicate that Dr Muganga assured the committee he would renounce his Canadian citizenship in order to meet constitutional requirements for ministerial appointment.
However, several members reportedly expressed doubts over the timeline and completeness of the commitment, ultimately withholding their support.
During the same session, Foreign Affairs nominee Adonia Ayebare and Youth and Children Affairs nominee Calvin Echodu also informed the committee that they would renounce their American and Canadian citizenships respectively to comply with eligibility rules for Cabinet service.
While their assurances were also scrutinised, they received broader backing from committee members.
Despite reservations from sections of the committee, presiding officers reportedly intervened in defence of the three nominees, arguing that the declarations of intent to renounce foreign citizenship should be considered sufficient at the approval stage.
The argument, however, did not sway the outcome for Dr Muganga.
In the final vote, Ayebare and Echodu were approved by majority decision, while Muganga failed to secure the required support, receiving only minority backing from committee members.
His nomination for State Minister for Internal Affairs was consequently rejected.
The issue of dual citizenship has become a recurring point of contention in high-level appointments, with lawmakers increasingly emphasising strict adherence to constitutional requirements on allegiance and eligibility.
Under United States law, renouncing citizenship is a lengthy administrative process that can take between six and twelve months or more.
It involves formal application procedures, embassy interviews, payment of a fee currently set at 2,350 US dollars, and confirmation of tax compliance over several years.
Individuals with significant global assets may also be subject to additional exit tax obligations.
The development is expected to fuel further debate over the practicality of constitutional compliance timelines and the vetting standards applied to nominees for senior government positions.