Mitooma ‘Boy’ Survives Axe: Museveni and Muhoozi Now Endorse Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has made a dramatic about-turn on the race for Deputy Speaker, announcing full backing for Thomas Tayebwa Bangirana following what he described as guidance from the Commander-in-Chief, President Yoweri Museveni.

In a statement issued Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Gen Muhoozi—who also serves as Chief of Defence Forces and chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU)—declared directed all MPs from his political organization to back Tayebwa.

“On the issue of Deputy Speaker, after getting guidance from the Commander-in-Chief, all PLU MPs and PLU leaning MPs will support Rt.Honourable Thomas Tayebwa  for that position. Congratulations Rt.Honourable,” wrote Muhoozi, also the senior presidential advisor on special operations.

The endorsement effectively secures Tayebwa’s position, marking a significant shift from earlier signals within PLU circles that suggested he could be replaced.

The move is a consolidation of power and alignment within the ruling establishment ahead of a potentially tense parliamentary reconfiguration by President Museveni.

Tayebwa, the Ruhinda North MP (in Mitooma District), appears to have weathered what insiders described as a looming political axe. His survival signals renewed confidence from both the military-political establishment and the presidency.

The development comes at a time of heightened intrigue within the upper echelons of government, with competing interests and shifting alliances shaping the future leadership of Parliament.

It should be remembered that just days earlier, Muhoozi had publicly indicated that PLU was considering backing a female Member of Parliament to replace Tayebwa as Deputy Speaker, a position he has held since 2022. The statement had sparked speculation about Tayebwa’s political survival.

That position now appears to have been reversed following consultations with President Museveni, underscoring the central role the president continues to play in determining key political outcomes within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its allied structures.

Meanwhile, Speaker Anita Among added further drama to the unfolding situation when she announced her withdrawal from the Speaker race on Monday, May 18. Her decision came amid security searches at her residences, intensifying political tension in Kampala.

Anita Among is expected to get a ‘big’ government job after stepping down for Museveni’s speaker candidate Jacob Oboth Oboth. (See Details Here and There).

Meanwhile, Thomas Tayebwa’s wife has been appointed an ‘ambassador’ as reported Here.