Ruling NRM party chairman president Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has revealed how he spent 16 hours, including wee hours of Monday, to convince MPs to dump Rebecca Kadaga and vote Jacob Oulanyah for speaker of the 11th Parliament.
In his remarks after Speaker Oulanyah presided over the election of Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among as deputy speaker, Museveni revealed how he had plotted the downfall of defiant Kadaga
The NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) had dumped Kadaga, and only forwarded only Oulanyah’s name to the parliamentary caucus.
But Kadaga vowed to stand as an independent.
Museveni said he had to employ guerilla tactics against Kadaga.
And she lost.
Behind the scenes, Museveni revealed he had been working tirelessly to convince a rebel group commanded by Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa which had stuck to Kadaga.
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But the president was on phone the whole night, until he convinced Tayebwa and group to abandon Kadaga for Oulanyah.
“I was ringing some people at night and told them ‘you have been with Kadaga and now it is Jacob Oulanyah,” said the NRM chairman.
“We had only about 16 hours to solve this problem.”
He continued: “I want to thank especially Hon Tayebwa and his group. They had created factions. I thank the Tayebwa group for accepting to support Jacob Oulanyah. I thank you for developing the NRM spirit.”