The candidature of Jacob Oulanyah for Speakership seat continues to receive public endorsements with the latest being the KCCA Minister Betty Amongi who has emphatically come out to support him.
Amongi who is also the Oyam South legislator says that the reigning Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has run her race and it is time that she is now elevated to the position of Vice President, currently occupied by her predecessor Edward Sekandi who is seemingly on the exit door having lost his parliamentary seat in the just concluded elections.
While appearing on the NBS talkshow-The Morning Breeze on Tuesday, Amongi said that the MPs from the North are not supporting Oulanyah simply because he hails from the North, but because he has demonstrated intellectual capacity in the law, national character, punctuality in Parliament, and efficiency in passing bills.
“We are supporting Hon. Jacob because of those characters not because he is from the North. The issue that the Chief Justice comes from the North and the Speaker coming from the North shouldn’t be an issue,” Amongi said.
She said that precedence has been set where Speaker takes power for 10 years and hands it over and that Kadaga is not any exception.
“I support Oulanyah for speakership because of the democratic culture we must promote in our country. The unwritten rule in Parliament is you rule for 10 years and give others a chance. I campaigned for Kadaga in the last Parliament and pledged to support Oulanyah in the next Parliament and I am here to fulfill my word,” she said, adding that Kadaga should “go to the second most important position in this country, the Vice President.”
Amongi said that the Party in power will definitely want a Speaker who will work with the Executive in harmony and that Hon Oulanyah is that definite candidate. She downplayed the idea that Kadaga is liberal and often gives opportunities for MPs to speak more often, saying
“Hon. Sekandi was one of the best Speakers in giving opportunities for MPs to speak.”
She added that Oulanyah’s candidature is popular among the MPs and that it is only President Museveni and CEC that can stop him.
“If the President says support this candidate, there will be a shift. We are people who believe in what we want. Kadaga can now move upwards after 20 years of Speakership. Over 60% of the NRM MPs I talked to supporting Jacob Oulanyah are asking for the position of President and CEC,” she said.
While appearing on NTV this Thursday morning, Oulanyah said that he is only waiting to see if the NRM CEC will keep their word following the 2016 gentleman’s agreement where he agreed to step down for Kadaga so that the latter may serve her last term.
“In 2016, CEC advised both of us to maintain the status quo, I am now waiting for the party processes to choose and this is the opportunity that CEC has to show that it means what it says – Jacob Oulanyah, Aspirant for Speakership,” Oulanyah said.
Oulanyah who is also the NRM Vice chairperson for Northern Uganda mobilized massively for the NRM victory in the region and for the first time, the region voted for President Museveni.
