President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the ruling NRM national chairman on Sunday revealed to the party members why the Central Executive Committee(CEC) had zeroed on Jacob Oulanyah as the NRM flag bearer for the Speakership race. The CEC, which is the top organ of the ruling NRM party on Sunday dropped the incumbent and Kamuli Woman MP, Rebecca Kadaga as the party flag bearer.
Speaking in a meeting where journalists were sent out of the State House gate to stop them from listening to his address to ruling NRM party Members of Parliament, Museveni gave in detail the reason the party’s top organ zeroed on Oulanyah.
Museveni explained to the NRM caucus that there has been consistency in the terms each member from the ruling party holds.
He told the members that it would be foolhardy to change from two terms that the previous Speakers have each held, noting that it was time someone else took over.
Museveni said the position of Speaker should not be a matter of death and life, noting that it can always change hands.
According to Museveni, the party nominates and endorses its flag bearer for the position of Speaker out of will and that the decision should always be respect.
He noted that it is also wrong for a Speakership candidate to hold meetings for campaigns.
For many months, there has been a stalemate within the ruling NRM party on who to become the Speaker.
According to sources, CEC highly considered Oulanyah’s ability to ensure the Northern region which he represents as its NRM Vice chairperson voted for the ruling party by more than 80% of the votes, compared to how the party performed in Busoga where Kadaga hails from.
Commenting about the matter, the NRM Vice chairperson in charge of Eastern Uganda, Capt. Mike Mukula said the party’s top organ resolves issues by consensus after “deep discussions.”
