By Ex-MP Godfrey Pereza Ahabwe
When the late Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah was elected to the Speakership of Parliament in 2021 and H. E. Jessica Alupo was appointed Vice President, it looked like political power was shared among the Western, Eastern, and Northern Regions that supported the National Resistance Movement.
I momentarily leave out Buganda for the obvious reason that it became a renegade region having not only mesmerized President Museveni by overwhelmingly, (bordering on humiliation), supporting his nemesis Hon Robert Kyagulanyi but also swept out every NRM Parliamentary Candidates including embarrassing his Ministers! Unfortunately, Rt Hon Jacob Oulanyah (RIP) did not live long to make the Acholi enjoy the fruits of his reign.
His Deputy, Hon Anita Annet Among, from the Eastern Region, replaced him within one year. My long ears captured whispers, then, that actually AAA as fondly referred to, was not the Big Brother’s choice to replace Oulanyah but as he characteristically does, he accepted his “advisors” recommendation and supported her.
Ever since, however, there has been pressure from the Acholi and Northern Uganda generally that the Speakership is their office! Two other developments have since played into this argument.
One, Hon Nobert Mao entered into a political marriage with the NRM. First, as a reliable friendly force to bring about friendly amendments to the Constitution of Uganda for purposes of the Museveni succession. In other words, who would deliver MK into the State House with utmost precision without any significant farce?
Would he now do it better as the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs or the Speaker? Any Minister, like the Hon Janat Mukwaya did in 2005, can deliver the amendments to Parliament but certainly not any Speaker can see them through with a cool and witty mind! Mao and not AAA is that mind!
Two, His Lordship Chigamoi Owinyi Dollo, another big name in Acholi, in fact number four (4) in the national hierarchy, has now retired as the Chief Justice and has been replaced by a Westerner! Fast forward, belatedly in 2025, after retaining his seat as DP President, Mao, who previously had publicly claimed to be a 2026 Presidential Candidate, suddenly announced his withdrawal from the race.
Not long after that, a grand homecoming was organized for him in Gulu and as if it was the day and night biblical creation drama, declared his candidature for Pece-Laroo Division Constituency which he easily won after negotiating out potential vote reducing competitors! The writing was legibly on the wall.
As for Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, her sins are classic! First and more fundamental, her ascendency to the office of the Speaker of Parliament was more of luck than design. Second, it was glaring that she was inadequate not only in handling matters on the floor of the House but on running the institution of Parliament as a purely private enterprise!
Rampant misuse of the Parliament budget was reported widely on social media and recruitment of staff was done outside established procedure. Tha mabaati saga only missed her arrest by inches.
The Bukedea LCV by-election didn’t spare her credibility as her name was squarely muddled in the middle of the whole violent saga! Lavish spending on vehicle gifts to her lover-man and holidaying using public resources was not lost in the public eyes!
The President was invited as a witness to her State House, International School and a Complex Medical Facility all located in Bukedea but done in the short period as Speaker of Parliament! I must add international travel sanctions that have dented Uganda’s image abroad! However, all are not lost on the big man from Rwakitura!
How about hounding out Rt. Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga from the Central Executive Committee of the NRM using her pocket clout! President Museveni supported it as a strategy for her soft landing and containment when she loses her bid for Speakership!
The credibility of the institution of Parliament must be recovered so that the transition from Museveni to another person is credible too and Hon Nobert Mao is meant to deliver that but also appease the Acholis! The writer (Dr. Pereza Ahabwe) is a former MP and Minister in President Museveni’s government & currently works in the academia. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
