By Ivan Mwine
The former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has landed in hot soup for defying the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) decision against her contesting for the position of Speaker.
The NRM CEC, which was chaired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, on Sunday passed a decision barring Kadaga from contesting for speakership but she defiantly decided to contest as an Independent candidate against her former deputy Jacob Oulanyah, the Omolo County Member of Parliament.
However, Oulanyah at the end of the day emerged victorious after he scored 310 votes against Kadaga’s 197 votes, while Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda scored 15 votes.
But Kadaga’s defiance has landed her into deep trouble and many of the top NRM echelons are agitating for her being punished, accusing her of betraying not only the party but also undermining its structures.
According to Oscar Kihiika, the Director Legal Affairs of the NRM party, Kadaga faces disciplinary action for defying the Party authorities and structures.
“As a party member and leader, she is bound by the Party’s structures and must abide by them at all times,” Kihiika told the press on Monday.
He added that; “What she did is subject to disciplinary action because she defied the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) which are the highest party structures.”
It should be noted that Kadaga has been at the helm of Parliament leadership for the last 20 years, 10 of which she was Deputy Speaker before she replaced Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi as Speaker of the House, after he was appointed Vice President.
Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah is a Ugandan agricultural economist, lawyer and politician, who serves as the Speaker of the 11th Parliament of Uganda (2021 – 2026).
He served as Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan parliament, from May 2011 until May 2021.
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