The return of two of his big wigs from Busoga and Acholi sub regions- Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah respectively should certainly be reason for President Yoweri Museveni to celebrate especially after many of his dependable ministers from Buganda, including Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi failing to make it.
Speaker Kadaga overcame a fierce challenge from Forum for Democratic Change’s Proscovia Salamu Musumba to retain her Kamuli Woman MP seat, before setting a new challenge for the speakership come May.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah managed to book a place in the eleventh parliament after an overwhelming victory in the January 14 parliamentary elections.
In August last year, the two politicians scooped a place at the ruling party’s Central Executive Committee with Kadaga retaining the woman Vice Chairpersonship and Oulanyah deposing the wealthy Sam Engola to become Vice Chairman Northern Uganda.
On a number of occasions, Kadaga has openly declared her determination to hold onto the office she has held since 2011 while her deputy Oulanyah has neither looked like he will be backing down this time round.
Just like Kadaga in Busoga, Oulanyah has been first establishing himself as a very influential figure in the politics of northern Uganda and winning against a rock hard Engola in the race for Second Vice Chairperson for the region clearly confirms that.
But going by the results in the recent presidential elections, one would be right to argue that the Omoro county MP would deserve the president’s favours more than his Kamuli counterpart after commanding a commendable victory for the party in the region that has in the past been an opposition stronghold.
Not only did the north vote for president Museveni against Democratic Party’s Nobert Mao but they also uprooted some of the long serving opposition parliamentarians in the region such as Aruu’s Odonga Otto, Aswa’s Reagan Okumu, Agago North’s Ogenga Latigo.
In contrast, Kadaga’s Busoga outrightly voted against the government in power with National Unity Platform candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu beating the incumbent President in eight of the eleven districts that make up Busoga, including Kadaga’s native Kamuli district.
Museveni was able to only win in Kaliro, Namutumba and Budiope districts while Bobi Wine took Jinja, Iganga, Mayuge, Bugweri, Bugiri, Namayingo, and Luuka.
Yet the dismal performance comes just over a month since president Museveni announced he and Kadaga had resolved their outstanding differences and were headed for a new era of peaceful coexistence.
Amid a deserving need to reward the people of Northern Uganda for saving the day when Busoga, a stronghold in the past opted against him, Museveni could find himself tempted to desert Kadaga at the very time of need hence losing the speakership.
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