NOT YET UHURU for Anita Among as 102 Northern Uganda MPs Reject Her; Insist Speaker Jacob Oulanyah Successor Must Come from their Region

A total of 102 MPs from the Northern Uganda sub-regions of Acholi, Lango and West Nile have rejected deputy speaker Anita Among’s bid for speaker, insisting they want Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah’s successor to come from their region. 

Represented by 40 of their colleagues, the MPs have penned a four-page letter to NRM Chairman Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni convincing him to rein in his party and ensure that Northern Uganda produces the speaker of Parliament.

On March 22, 13 MPs expressed interest in the speaker position. (Read Story Here).

One of them has since officially withdrawn from the race. (Read Story Here).

NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has since chosen Among as candidate for speaker job. (Read Story Here).

Of the 12 MPs who expressed interest in the seat on Tuesday, four come from Northern Uganda.

They are: Denis Hamson Obua (Ajuri County), Felix Okot Ogong (Dokolo South), John Amos Okot (Agago North) and Jackson Atima Lee (Arua Central).

The MPs from Northern Uganda say if Museveni and his CEC do not pick any of these as a preferred candidate, the 102 legislators from the region will not show up at Kololo for the election of the speaker.

They argue that Oulanyah was instrumental in mobilizing for the NRM in the Northern Uganda and that choosing his successor from the region would consolidate the party’s support there.

It remains to be see if the Northern Uganda MPs will defy Museveni’s CEC and the ruling party’s decision.