Public Service minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa is also quitting elective politics days after his local government counterpart Raphael Magyezi announced he would not stand for election as Igara West MP.
At the weekend, Magyezi confirmed he would not seek reelection after representing the Bushenyi-based constituency for 10 years.
Now, Muruli, his colleague in cabinet, has also reportedly quit elective politics.
In the 2016 parliamentary elections, some senior ministers lost. They included: East African Community Affairs Minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, former information minister Jim Muhwezi, and former education minister Jessica Alupo.
Others who lost were former energy minister Irene Muloni, former attorney general Fred Ruhindi and former housing minister Sam Engola.
Some critics think Magyezi and Muruli have quit to avoid what befell such ministers five years ago.
But Magyezi insisted he had not quit because he was afraid of competition from opponents such as Horace Muhabuzi, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa and Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere.
Read: Minister Magyezi finally breaks silence on running for Igara West MP seat in 2021
Muruli has represented Nakasongola’s Budeyebo county in Parliament since 2011. Before then, he had served as a National Resistance Council Member and Constituency Assembly delegate for Nakasongola County.
He has served as minister of security, gender, labour and social development, and public service.
Like Magyezi, Muruli hopes to remain active in government, even after quitting elective politics.
It is not clear if President Yoweri Museveni has assured Magyezi and Muruli of ministerial appointments if he wins next year’s presidential election.
Aged 68 (he was born in May 1952), Muruli, a former head teacher at Nakasongola SS is expected to back a candidate from his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 2021 general elections.
Already, at least four NRM members have expressed interest in the NRM flag for the Budyebo County MP election.
They include Moses Mwesigye, Peter Ssali, Bernard Ssekyanzi and former Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) engineer Berunado Ssebugga Kimeze. The minister is said to favour Kimeze.
