National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Godfrey Luyombya has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next Kampala Capital City Authority’s (KCCA) speaker.
Sources within the party have confided that talks are ongoing to have the party nominate a single candidate for the position, currently held by Zahara Luyirika. Luyombya, the LC-V direct councillor for Nakawa II division, is the former speaker division.
Given his experience and blameless track record, he has been identified as a unifier. He is also credited for his charity works through his Godfrey Luyombya Foundation. NUP has the biggest number of councillors at 18, but NRM is not far behind with 16 of their own, including two NRM-leaning independents.
Meanwhile, The Observer understands that NRM is also plotting to front one candidate and hopes to woo some NUP members. This is much closer than the case was in the 2021 general elections, when NUP dominated City Hall with more than 40 councillors before the number of elective positions was reduced.
In June, 2021, Luyirika was elected as the speaker, winning the election with 43 out of 52 votes.
The major functions of the speaker include presiding over all meetings of the Council; is charged with the overall authority for the preservation of order in the Council and ensuring in the enforcement of the rules of procedure of the Council.
Luyombya’s only undoing could be the fact the he represents a constituency in Nakawa, where the incoming lord mayor Ronald Balimwezo also comes from. So, having Nakawa dominate the council may be discomforting to other division councillors. Nonetheless, he remains the frontrunner when the elections are held early in June.
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