Museveni reveals how Kadaga was edged out

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Museveni said his party had to resort to guerilla tactics to defeat Rebecca Kadaga from her third term attempt as Speaker of Parliament.

Museveni who had been silent during the election of the speakers of the 11th Parliament finally revealed the tactics used to defeat Kadaga and some of the opposition candidates vying for the two posts.

The President, also a member of the NRM’s Central Executive Committee said he had to resort to campaigning to individual members of his party after Kadaga had indicated that she was to contest as an independent.

The President acknowledged the fact that Kadaga and Oulanyah had resolved to vie for the same post had turned very divisive within the NRM circles.

Museveni says they had about 16 hours from the day of the elections to work on the division. He said faction formation is a subversive action, and he had to talk to two of the factions and by Monday morning, many of them agreed to support the official candidates.

Museveni says one side of the NRM faction wanted to front a candidate to defeat NRM alongside the opposition.

Museveni was on Monday night making a statement in the first 11th Parliamentary sitting held at Kololo Independence grounds after the Speaker and deputy speaker were elected. Now in his address to Parliament, Museveni said that the NRM was terribly divided with plans by the opposition and pro-Kadaga members to front a candidate against NRM’s Deputy Speaker choice Anita Among, the Bukedea Woman MP.

According to the President, it took his effort to talk to key individuals who were resisting the party position starting from Thomas Tayebwa, the Ruhinda North MP who lost in the caucus elections to Anita Among and Gomba West MP Robinah Rwakoojo.

Sources had earlier indicated that the President and other NRM bigwigs had attempted to talk to Kadaga to abide by the party position but she was hesitant and therefore decided to contest as an Independent.

Museveni says he called the NRM MPs in the night between 11:00 pm and midnight to support Oulanyah as a sole candidate. According to Museveni, this is how guerillas work.

The President also spoke against intolerance saying vindictiveness is a bad spirit, and as for him, he is ready to engage the opposition. The President gave examples of his working relations with Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), and the Democratic Party (DP).

He said it is only the National Unity Platform (NUP) led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine that is not allowing to work with him.

He also pledged to fight corruption in addition to budgeting correctly. On corruption, he said that recently he had to suspend corrupt individuals at Uganda Airlines who had employed their relatives, inflated procurement costs among others.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah hailed former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga for her leadership in Uganda and abroad.

Oulanyah said Kadaga excelled in representing Uganda. He pledged to pick from where Kadaga left in showcasing the country’s legislature. Oulanyah’s appreciation of Kadaga’s milestones was in her absence. Kadaga through Dokolo MP Cecilia Ogwal attempted to seek audience for her to make a statement before the new Speaker could take oath.

Oulanyah says the office of the Speaker is not a personal office but for the public, he also said he will not victimize anyone for whatever has happened in the process of coming up with a Speaker.

The two went to the race as rivals following long time bickering stemming from the 2016 attempt by Oulanyah to oust Kadaga as Speaker of Parliament. However, the situation degenerated after the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) decided to hand Oulanyah the flag and not Kadaga

Oulanyah adjourned the house sine die awaiting induction of MPs in early June.

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