By Mulengera Reporters
Mbale City Woman MP-elect Lydia Wanyoto Mutende, who won with 38,097 votes beating several others including the incumbent Connie Galiwango Nakayenze (12,912), has justified why she deserves to be the next Speaker of Parliament.
She said at a media event in Mbale that its 30 years since their son James Waphakabhulo served as Speaker and now is the right time that the Bagisus ate again through her being the number 3 most powerful person in the country. She said it would be shameful for Bagisu MPs to continue competing to carry bags of other big politicians in the country. That it’s equally disgraceful for the MPs from Bugisu to go bootlicking and competing for the job of being campaign managers for others fighting for speakership.
She asserted that, having greatly contributed to Museveni’s struggles during the FRONASA days and having overwhelmingly voted for NRM in 2026, the Bagisus of Mbale City had tasked her to be their flagbearer in the Speaker’s race. She said it’s a great platform she intends to use to lobby development and other groceries for Bugisu besides using the same to amplify Vision 2040 and the NRM manifesto, both blue prints she said she greatly understands.
Wanyoto, who demonstrated linguistic skills by speaking flawless Luganda, English and Shwahil, added that she is the most qualified person for the job because of her political pedigree-being an ex-CEC member, one of the AU eminent persons’ panel members and also a former EALA member for Uganda. She demonstrated capacity to speak several languages and also claimed to know and understand the heartbeat and intent of Gen YK Museveni more than anyone else.
She also claimed superior knowledge and understanding of the NRM constitution, long term development objectives being an NPA Executive Board member and also the Parliamentary rules of procedure because she is a lawyer who is also soon completing her PhD and thereby qualifying to be called doctor.
She bragged that Museveni has always demonstrated trust and confidence in her which is why he even deployed her to NPA to serve as one of the executive board members. She also claimed Gen Museveni has always been desirous to deploy her in big influential positions of government, something she said had now been fortified by Mbale City voters’ decision to elect her as their new Woman MP.
She also promised to remain a disciplined cadre who is ready to subject herself to internal party processes-making it clear she was more than ready to bow out for whoever the CEC and NRM caucus chooses for the job, in case the NRM party ends up prefering someone else.
She said she was ready to demonstrate that her candidature is voter-centric by delivering a powerful delegation of Bagisu leaders to meet Museveni at State House Entebbe and demonstrate to him why their daughter and region deserves the job of Speaker as a token of appreciation for the support that was rendered Museveni’s FRONASA in the 1970s and more recently during the 2026 elections. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
