After some silence following tough barbs on the matter of the next speaker of Uganda’s parliament, including DP President Nobert Mao describing as “accidental speaker” the March 2022 election of Rt. Hon. Anita Among as speaker following the sad demise of Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, attention is again back on my brother Nobert Mao, with Gerald Siranda, DP secretary general and EALA member, declaring support for speaker Among with “She is my Mother!”
Before Mao and his supporters respond, my advice is simple: “You are a lawyer, legislator, cabinet minister and DP Party leader; by what our speakership and its history under the 1995 Constitution are, your objective approach should be quiet engagement. Let us consider these four facts.
On election of the speaker and deputy speaker, Article 8 (2 and 3) of our constitution provide simply that: (2) “The speaker and deputy speaker shall be elected by members of parliament from among their number”; and (3) “A person shall not be qualified to be elected a speaker or deputy speaker if he or she is a Vice President or a Minister.”
These provisions were deliberately made simple to shield the Speakership from politics and partisanship because, as the presiding officer in a multiparty House, the speaker must embody and exercise impartiality and strictly uphold the provisions of our constitution and laws.
As such, engaging in raw politics and free talk in the name of seeking the speakership is wrong and unwarranted. Secondly, by Commonwealth tradition and practice, the majority party or one in majority alliance forms the next government and/or provides the next speaker and his/her deputy.
In Uganda now, whether as DP Leader or as a tiny part of an alliance with NRM, for which he is serving as minister, Nobert Mao has no locus, objective reason or right to make noise in the name of seeking the Speakership of our 12th parliament.
The prerogative lies with the President and his NRM Party with whom Mao should engage privately and quietly. Thirdly, by precedence established from the illustrious CA Chair and first speaker under the 1995 Constitution, James Wapakhabulo, the speakers of our parliament, except for Jacob Oulanyah, have served two Terms of their tenure – Edward Ssekandi 2001- 2006 and 2006-2011 and Rebecca A. Kadaga 2011-2016 and 2016-2021.
Of course, two attempts were made to subvert this established tradition. In May 2016, Jacob Oulanyah, who was deputy speaker in the first tenure of Rebecca Kadaga as Speaker, declared his intention to contest against Rebecca Kadaga, triggering a huge uproar.
On the NBS television show, Morning Breeze, Simon Kagwa Njala, the moderator, asked me to react to this challenge.
My simple response was: “President Museveni talks with even his worst enemies, why doesn’t he put the two down and allow Kadaga to serve her second and last term?”
Shortly after, media was awash with State House pictures of the President flanked by Kadaga and Oulanyah, where he announced that Rebecca Kadaga would stand as speaker and Jacob Oulanyah as deputy Speaker.
Unfortunately, in 2021, even after going through the above contest and knowing the two-term tenure of speakership, Rebecca Kadaga contested for speakership against Oulanyah and suffered a humiliating defeat.
Lastly, Rt. Hon. Anita Among is currently serving her first tenure as the speaker of parliament, even if “accidental.” By established tradition, therefore, speaker Among is entitled to stand in May 2026 without contestation from within the NRM, and/or allies, unless the President and NRM decide otherwise.
Those in the NRM/Alliance who think they have good reasons to oppose the continued speakership of AAA should either bring out the issues they have against her or wait and table their objections the day Anita Among is nominated Speaker of the 12th parliament.
To my brother Nobert Mao, the strong Acholi culture teaches us that regardless of how favoured or blindly ambitious a child is, out of respect and tradition, he/she will not audaciously sit on an elder’s chair without consequences. It is your duty and honour to uphold established traditions and precedents.
mwolatigo@gmail.com
The writer was the leader of the opposition in the eighth parliament
Hon. Ogenga Latigo, i salute and thank you for the above piece of Advice to Embattled DP president Mr.Mao Nobert.To start with The normal spirit you advise Mao in is far different from his ”candidacy”. Remember he illegally made an agreement with Mr.Musesveni minus the consent of the party organ(NEC) and its due come May.So Mao and some DP cronies have their candidacy at the Speakership of the 12th Parliament as a base to have Mr.Museveni at Table for another agreement having taken so long without seeing the NRM Chairman.So their candidacy under the NRM members is meant for that.Everything they are doing was planned prior by the trio thus Mao,Mbide and Siranda for another agreement that will see more numbers from Democratic Party for crumbs from the NRM/A government. So the former Gentleman, Mao, is targeting that and his publicity is theatrical from some Media because it has an NRA Member Promoting.
I want to thank proff for expressing his opinion. However, i find the good proff’s points self defeating when he says Hon. Mao because he is a minister;
1. May not qualify.
2. That he may not be impartial in guiding the house.
I don’t know if by his argument ,the proff believe that Annet Among who is neither a minister or vice president has been an embodiment of impartiality in the 11th parliament. In fact Among has been one of the most partial and Bias speakers this country has ever seen. The only speaker who has actually handed over our house ( The parliament of Uganda to the executive!)
What the professor is terming as tradition of serving two terms is not supported by any law; not the constitution of the NRM or the National constitution, and this explains why some members of the NRM party have gone to court.
The Hon. Mao has every right to stand as the speaker and qualifies so.The issue of him being a minister does not hold because ,by the time the 12th parliament is constituted , legally he would no longer be a minister -that cabinet would have been dissolved.
Lastly, why is Hon. Mao’s candidacy rattling some of you the wrong way. By declaring his intention to stand, which Law has Mao broken?
The speaker of the 12th parliament is going to be elected by the members of the 12th parliament. Lets allow Mao to exercise his democratic right as a member of parliament elected by the people of Pece-Laroo, Gulu city. Should he lose the bid, let him loose fairly but we can’t be the ones pulling him down as if standing for the position of the speaker of Uganda is a preserve of a particular people.