The decision by the National Resistance Movement-NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) to snub Rebecca Kadaga in favour of Jacob Oulanyah for Parliament Speakership could have a lot more to communicate than what meets the eye.
The matter had remained a protracted one, with a decision on it getting deferred from time to time. This morning, however, it was officially announced that for the first time in two decades, it won’t be Kadaga to don the prestigious Speaker/Deputy Speaker wig but Oulanyah.
The decision comes at the back of a very exciting cold war between the two-party bigwigs, with the Kamuli District Woman MP castigating her Omoro county counterpart of dodging sessions even when there are contentious decisions to make. Oulanyah on the other hand accused Kadaga of shameless dishonesty for backtracking on the 2016 gentleman’s agreement that she would give way after the expiry of the current term.
And now that it’s official Oulanyah is the chosen one, war bells have already started shouting in NRM’s backyard. Kadaga who strongly believes her immense popularity among MPs is being undone by the myopic CEC has already declared she will go for it independently.
On what will be Museveni’s course of action, even the blind can tell. The son of Kaguta will furiously fight as though his whole political life depends on it (It does anyway).
Who will take the day?
It all depends on the inner motives of the two principals. Museveni definitely wants to keep the party intact by keeping its authority at the centre. As for Kadaga, it’s still debatable. Is she interested in the office of the Speaker and that’s all? Is it an excuse for her to break off and join the opposition and challenge for the presidency in the next presidential election? Only time will tell.
In the first instance above, if she goes ahead and loses tomorrow, all that will be left is to swallow a humble pie and lobby for a cabinet appointment from where she will maintain her already threatened glowing political legacy. But if she chooses to do it from the opposite side, then she will ably cross now and settle within the company of Bobi Wine and colleagues in anticipation of a mega role come 2026.
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