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After some silence following tough barbs on the matter of the next speaker of Uganda’s parliament, including DP President Nobert Mao describing as “accidental speaker” the March 2022 election of Rt. Hon. Anita Among as speaker following the sad demise of Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, attention is again back on my brother Nobert Mao, with Gerald Siranda, DP secretary general and EALA member, declaring support for speaker Among with “She is my Mother!”
Before Mao and his supporters respond, my advice is simple: “You are a lawyer, legislator, cabinet minister and DP Party leader; by what our speakership and its history under the 1995 Constitution are, your objective approach should be quiet engagement. Let us consider these four facts.
On election of the speaker and deputy speaker, Article 8 (2 and 3) of our constitution provide simply that: (2) “The speaker and deputy speaker shall be elected by members of parliament from among their number”; and (3) “A person shall not be qualified to be elected a speaker or deputy speaker if he or she is a Vice President or a Minister.”
These provisions were deliberately made simple to shield the Speakership from politics and partisanship because, as the presiding officer in a multiparty House, the speaker must embody and exercise impartiality and strictly uphold the provisions of our constitution and laws.
As such, engaging in raw politics and free talk in the name of seeking the speakership is wrong and unwarranted. Secondly, by Commonwealth tradition and practice, the majority party or one in majority alliance forms the next government and/or provides the next speaker and his/her deputy.
In Uganda now, whether as DP Leader or as a tiny part of an alliance with NRM, for which he is serving as minister, Nobert Mao has no locus, objective reason or right to make noise in the name of seeking the Speakership of our 12th parliament.
The prerogative lies with the President and his NRM Party with whom Mao should engage privately and quietly. Thirdly, by precedence established from the illustrious CA Chair and first speaker under the 1995 Constitution, James Wapakhabulo, the speakers of our parliament, except for Jacob Oulanyah, have served two Terms of their tenure – Edward Ssekandi 2001- 2006 and 2006-2011 and Rebecca A. Kadaga 2011-2016 and 2016-2021.
Of course, two attempts were made to subvert this established tradition. In May 2016, Jacob Oulanyah, who was deputy speaker in the first tenure of Rebecca Kadaga as Speaker, declared his intention to contest against Rebecca Kadaga, triggering a huge uproar.
On the NBS television show, Morning Breeze, Simon Kagwa Njala, the moderator, asked me to react to this challenge.
My simple response was: “President Museveni talks with even his worst enemies, why doesn’t he put the two down and allow Kadaga to serve her second and last term?”
Shortly after, media was awash with State House pictures of the President flanked by Kadaga and Oulanyah, where he announced that Rebecca Kadaga would stand as speaker and Jacob Oulanyah as deputy Speaker.
Unfortunately, in 2021, even after going through the above contest and knowing the two-term tenure of speakership, Rebecca Kadaga contested for speakership against Oulanyah and suffered a humiliating defeat.
Lastly, Rt. Hon. Anita Among is currently serving her first tenure as the speaker of parliament, even if “accidental.” By established tradition, therefore, speaker Among is entitled to stand in May 2026 without contestation from within the NRM, and/or allies, unless the President and NRM decide otherwise.
Those in the NRM/Alliance who think they have good reasons to oppose the continued speakership of AAA should either bring out the issues they have against her or wait and table their objections the day Anita Among is nominated Speaker of the 12th parliament.
To my brother Nobert Mao, the strong Acholi culture teaches us that regardless of how favoured or blindly ambitious a child is, out of respect and tradition, he/she will not audaciously sit on an elder’s chair without consequences. It is your duty and honour to uphold established traditions and precedents.
mwolatigo@gmail.com
The writer was the leader of the opposition in the eighth parliament
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