Newly appointed ministers to take oath at 11:30 am today

KATHMANDU: The Office of the President has announced that three newly appointed ministers will take the oath of office and secrecy at 11:30 am today.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki expanded her cabinet on Sunday evening, appointing Kulman Ghising as Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Om Prakash Aryal as Minister for Home and Law, and Rameshore Khanal as Minister for Finance.

The swearing-in at Sheetal Niwas comes just days after Karki assumed office as Nepal’s Prime Minister. She officially took charge at Singha Durbar on Sunday morning before inducting the new ministers later in the day.

Ghising previously led the Nepal Electricity Authority as executive director and is widely credited with ending chronic power cuts. Aryal, who will oversee the powerful Home Ministry, had served as legal advisor to Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah. Khanal, tapped for the finance portfolio, is a seasoned bureaucrat and former finance secretary.

Meanwhile, the appointments have already stirred controversy. Leaders of the ongoing Gen Z movement staged a late-night demonstration in Baluwatar, voicing objections to Aryal’s selection as Home Minister. They argued that Aryal, who had acted as a mediator during their protests, should not have been rewarded with a key cabinet post.

Despite the protests, all three ministers are set to formally assume their positions following this morning’s ceremony.