Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, second female national vice chairman of the National Resistance Movement, is facing the hardest test in her party politics.
Persia Namuganza, state minister for lands, is gaining momentum which could potentially see Kadaga unseated from the most powerful organ of NRM, the central executive committee.
Kadaga,who has been campaigning countrywide using a police chopper, needs CEC badly because it consolidates her political moves, which makes her part of all decisions going on in government. Without CEC, even the speakership could slip out of her fingers.
One can argue, Kadaga’s arrogance landed her in the hot soup. President Yoweri Museveni, has been instrumental in relieving pressure off some of his aging cadres such as Al Hajj Moses Kigongo, whose contribution to the party is historical. He needs him in CEC. However his position was invaded by among others Captain Francis Babu, who the party Chairman convinced to step down in exchange for a deal we haven’t yet known but soon or later, it will come to the public. Mr Museveni, it is reported, wanted to extend similar support to Kadaga to help persuade Namuganza to allow Kadaga through unopposed.
Unfortunately, Kadaga and Namuganza have personal, tribal and political wars. The speaker was categorical that she doesn’t need the president’s help to trounce Namuganza. The ball was set to roll.
Namuganza says CEC should infuse more younger blood into its ranks. She also blames Kadaga for doing nothing about empowerment of NRM Women.
As Kadaga fought off these accusations, and sought to humble Namuganza at the ballot box, a war of words erupted in CEC.
When CEC members secretary general Justine Lumumba and chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa tasked Kadaga to explain why she causes President Museveni headache in Parliament, and creating a power centre among legislators, matronizing Kadaga responded by insulting Lumumba and Nankabirwa as rumour mongers.
It is this war that is threatening Kadaga’s interests. Nankabirwa has already sent out an audio to party members asking them to support Namuganza, calling Kadaga a sell out who dines with opposition to embarrass the president and NRM party.
If Kadaga is defeated, it means the coup to dethrone her and trounce her come next year, has started early.
Already, Jacob Oulanyah, deputy speaker and Kadaga rival wants her boss’s job. He is not hiding. And he wants to be vice Chairman for northern Uganda. If all goes to plan, and Kadaga is roasted, Kadaga’s hope will be in opposition she’s being accused of hobnobbing with.
As her plan B therefore, would be to join hands with Robert Kyagulanyi to raise a good number of MPs joining parliament on NUP ticket. And even possibly win the presidency.
That would be her sure ticket to speakership.
Even if she wins Namuganza with this acrimony, it will still be a hard bargain for Kadaga to win the speakership again.
Ms Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga must be at crossroads. She should do lots of soul searching. Either to make peace with her rivals in her backyard before they embarrass her or cross the bridge like some MPs have done, and come out to challenge Museveni directly.
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