Desperate Kadaga to Run on Independent Ticket for Speaker

Outgoing Speaker of Parliament and Kamuli Woman MP, Ms Rebecca Kadaga has announced that she will contest as an Independent candidate in the race for Speaker of the 11th Parliament.

The development comes after the NRM top organ, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) dropped her in favour of her former deputy Mr Jacob Oulanyah also Omoro County MP, who has been selected as the party flagbearer, ahead of today’s decisive vote.

“I have come to inform the people of Uganda that my party, the NRM has opted not to give me the party flag for position of Speaker of Parliament. I have therefore decided to contest as Independent,” Ms Kadaga announced on Sunday.

Ms Kadaga, who has been the Speaker of the 9th and 10th Parliament and also the Deputy Speaker for the 7th and 8th Parliament, said there have always been many attempts to have her ejected from the party leadership but has always risen above the storm.

“You recall during the CEC elections last year, there was tremendous state interference, intimidation and funding but I won the contest as second national Vice Chairperson (female),” she said, adding that, “The major reason I’m being pushed out is because of speaking about the issues of the ordinary people. I want to assure you the people that I will continue speaking on those issues.”

Following lengthy deliberations since Saturday at State House, Entebbe, majority of CEC members backed Mr Oulanyah to become the Speaker of the 11th Parliament over Ms Kadaga, who they accused of undermining the party as well as causing tension in the House during her reign, according to sources who are privy to the conclave.

“I will continue to stand up for the rights of those who are being marginalized, therefore I’m appealing to the people of Uganda to rally their representatives in Parliament to do the needful,” she said.

The Speakership race now has four candidates, who include Ms Kadaga, Mr Oulanyah, Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (FDC) and Bukoto Central MP Richard Ssebamala (DP) among others.

The newly sworn-in members of the 11th Parliament will today converge at Kololo airstrip to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.