NUP MPs-elect to meet over Speaker election

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Unity Platform (NUP) party is set to have a retreat with its MPs-elect to decide who they will be supporting to the position of speaker and deputy speaker of parliament.

Speaking to reporters today leaders of NUP led by John Baptist Nambeshe, the deputy president for Eastern Uganda, said they can’t be a party that just follows what goes on in the country without influencing it.

Nambeshe, the MP for Manjiya county in Bududa district said among the 61 MPs that the party has, there are among them those who have all the necessary requirements to be speaker and deputy speaker of parliament. He said but before they decide on who they will be supporting, there is need for them to first have a meeting which will take place next week.

Currently the race for speaker of parliament has attracted four hopefuls. These include the current speaker and deputy speaker; Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah respectively both from the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Also in the race is Kira municipality MP and opposition chief whip, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda of the Forum for Democratic Change and Richard Ssebamala, the MP-elect for Bukoto Central who is a member of the Democratic Party.

Although some members of NUP have already indicated that they will be supporting Kadaga, NUP deputy for central region Mathias Mpuuga said the party will have the final say to either support any of the candidate so far who have declared or come up with their own candidate.

Meanwhile NUP has kicked off a campaign to collect money and food and other household items for the families of their supporters who have allegedly been abducted by the state. David Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of NUP said many of the families of the people who have been abducted are currently suffering, lacking what to eat as their bread winners continue languishing in prison.

He called upon government to release all their people who were arrested on what he called trumped up charges. He added that they have dedicated this Easter week to praying for all those who continue to be held in different prisons across the country.

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