KAMPALA, Uganda 

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s move to appoint more women in key government positions has evoked both skepticism and jubilations in the landlocked East African country.

After winning the sixth five-year term in office in January, Museveni has appointed 34 women in the 82-member Cabinet, which includes Jessica Alupo, as vice-president, and Robinah Nabbanja, as prime minister.

The country has achieved the distinction of having the most gender-balanced government in Africa, with women accounting for 43% in the Cabinet.

Besides these posts, two of the three deputy prime ministers are also women, with key ministries like education, energy and mineral resources, lands, communication, science, and technology now being chaired by female ministers.

Recently the president appointed four more women -- Irene Mulyagonja as inspector general of government, Flavia Byekwaso as army spokeswoman, Mariam Wangadya as chairwoman of human rights commission, and Edith Nakalema to combat corruption.

Despite many women now in top positions in the government more than even in any developed nation, there is skepticism in the country.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, a Kampala-based prominent businessman Hajji Mubarak Kabuye said he does not feel that women in the top positions could do much to rein in the rampant corruption.

“There is so much corruption in the country that those poor women cannot do much as far as development is concerned,” he said.

Just optics, says opposition

Opposition leader Kenneth Okulle described these measures of appointing more women in the government as just optics.

“Museveni is an opportunist. He knows that according to our population there are more women than men. He wants to win the women to his side so that they always vote in his favor,” he said.

Another leading opposition leader Bobi Wine said appointing few women in top positions does not change their status in the country. He said like men female politicians in Uganda have been equally tortured by state agencies over the years.

But analyst Pastor Solomon Male said in a country, where men have failed to govern over the past many decades, there is a case to give women a chance. He said the men, who came to office with promises started collaborating and fell into the cesspool of corruption.

He said the new prime minister has already shown spine to fight corruption since she assumed office.

According to official statistics, Uganda inhabits 23.19 million females and 22.55 million males.

Defending the inclusion of more women in the government, ruling National Resistance Movement leader Anderson Mugasha said women are more loyal and hardworking.

Citing the case of Nakalema, who has been recently appointed to head anti-corruption wing, he said the lady has acted against corrupt officials.

Women movements takes credit

Women rights activist, Sarah Mutesi, however, gave credit to women's movements for forcing the government to give more representation to women.

"It is the women who have put pressure on the president forcing him to appoint women in key positions," she said.

Echoing her views, Miria Matembe, another women's rights activist, said the increased participation of fairer sex in the governance is because of the struggle of women’s movements over past decades.

She said it was because of these movements that women are 43% in the Cabinet, 46% in local government positions, 33% in the parliament.

Many others, however, said that Museveni’s move is linked to seeking funds from international donors, who had been advocating an increase in women’s political representation.