In a few months time, Uganda’s Parliament will choose nine people to represent Uganda at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).
The practice has always been that ruling party-NRM pockets 6 out of the 9 slots Uganda has at the Arusha-based assembly leaving three for the opposition-of which one slot must go to an independent.
Currently, Uganda is being represented by Rose Akol, Matthias Kasamba, Paul Musamali, Denis Namara, George Stephen Ondongo, Mary Mugenyi(all for NRM), Fred Mukasa Mbidde (DP), Susan Nakawuki (Independent) and Chris Opoka (UPC).
The truth is President Museveni’s NRM which has the biggest numerical number in parliament will always determine who goes to Arusha because the principle is one man one vote and he who garners the highest number of votes from the entire house is announced winner regardless of who gets nominated by which party.
And according to Mulengera news, President Museveni has already made a choice on the three opposition members he wants to represent Uganda on the assembly.
The President has endorsed National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, DP president general Norbert Mao and NUP-leaning Latif Sebaggala (for the independents).
State House sources say that Gen Museveni has indicated he has no problem with NUP SG Rubongoya because he has effectively and inadvertently used his influence on Bobi Wine to ensure the NRM opponent doesn’t use his wide appeal to call for Besigye-like riots protesting his re-election.
“He is grateful that much as tensions remains, the Rubongoya he knows from Kanyaryeru and since his days at Makerere as an NRM-leaning student’s leader, has used his leverage as SG to ensure things don’t escalate into street violence,” a knowledgeable State House told the local news website.
During an interview with The Observer newspaper recently, Rubongoya said that he will be running for an elective position in the very near future which many have since construed to be a reference to EALA.
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