Acan Joyce Okeny

Hon.
Acan Joyce Okeny
Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Disability Affairs)
ConstituencyRepresentative of Persons with Disabilities (Female)
Member of Parliament, 12th Parliament of Uganda
Personal details
Born
Uganda
PartyNational Resistance Movement (NRM)
EducationMakerere University
Alma materMakerere University
OccupationPolitician, Management Scientist
ProfessionPolitician, Management Scientist
Known for
Advocacy for persons with disabilities

Acan Joyce Okeny is a Ugandan politician and management scientist who is a female representative of people with disabilities in the 12th Parliament of Uganda.[1][2][3][4][5][6] She is the minister of state for gender, labour and social development for disability affairs in the 12th Parliament of Uganda, following appointment by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and also being considered the most impactful minister for persons with disability by Kampala persons with disabilities.[7][8][9][10]

Personal life and educational history

She holds both a master’s degree in human resource management and a Bachelor’s in adult and Community Education from Makerere University.[11]

Career

She has been appointed by President Museveni as the Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Disability Affairs) in the 12th Parliament of Uganda.[7][8][9] She promised to partner with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) to build the system and support PWD-led research to eliminate systemic barriers. As a minister, she promised to commit to enforcing accessibility standards across public infrastructure, transport, and ICT platforms aimed at strengthening Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) programs to boost employment.[12]

Joyce also served as the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councillor for equal opportunities and was nominated by the National Resistance Movement for Northern Uganda as a Member of Parliament PWDs.[11] She has knowledge and skills in organisation development and management, human resources and project management, leadership and governance and advocacy. She is part of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Persons with Disabilities.[13]

Joyce began her political journey in the late 1990s, serving as a representative for PWDs on the Nakawa Urban Council from 1998 to 2005. In 2006, she was elected to the KCCA as a representative for the PWDs, a position she held for a record 10 years until 2016. In 2015, she contested the Northern Member of Parliament seat for Persons With Disabilities before losing to the incumbent William Nyokrach by only 30 votes.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Members of Parliament | Parliament of Uganda". parliament.nwtdemos.com. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  2. ↑ "Members of Parliament | Parliament". mpsdb.parliament.go.ug. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  3. ↑ "MP Acan Joyce Okeny Salutes Workers, Demands Space for PWDs in all Catagories of Work". TAYARI NEWS UGANDA. 2026-05-01. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  4. ↑ Mugabi, Sam Ibanda (2026-02-04). "Uganda: Disability MPs Elections - Joyce Can, Mpindi Bumali Lead As Minister Asamo Loses Seat". Nile Post. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  5. ↑ "Joyce Acan Okeny, incumbent Female MP for PWDs :: Uganda Radionetwork". ugandaradionetwork.net. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  6. ↑ "Archives". The Voice Uganda. 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  7. 1 2 "The Cabinet - State House Uganda". 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  8. 1 2 Tuesday Cabinet Appointments: PDWDs Welcome Acan Joyce Okeny's Appointment. 2026-05-30. Retrieved 2026-06-19 – via odysee.com.
  9. 1 2 "Kampala PWDs Hail President Museveni For Appointing Hon Acan Joyce Okeny As Minister For Disability Affairs". TAYARI NEWS UGANDA. 2026-06-03. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  10. ↑ "Why Hon Acan Joyce Okeny Could be Uganda's Most Impactful Disability Minister". TAYARI NEWS UGANDA. 2026-06-11. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  11. 1 2 3 Bwanika, Elisha Z. (2020-08-13). "Former KCCA councillor Joyce Acan calls for equal opportunities as she is nominated for NRM Northern Uganda MP for PWDs". Watchdog Uganda. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  12. ↑ "Govt to fast-track national disability data system to curb high school dropout rates". Monitor. 2026-06-11. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  13. ↑ "Publicity Secretary (UPFPWDs) Profile - UPFPWDs". 2025-03-14. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
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