Jacob Oulanyah insists he should be the next Speaker of Parliament, according to an agreement brokered by President Yoweri Museveni and Central Executive Committee- the ruling party’s highest decision making organ.
In broad day light and in presence of NRM pillars while at State House Entebbe in 2016, Speaker Kadaga begged to serve more five years to have her tenure of 10 completed just like her predecessor Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.
At the time (2001- 2016), Kadaga was serving as Ssekandi’s deputy.
Kadaga made the promise in 2016 as she faced fierce competition from her deputy Jacob Oulanyah.
“I am really shocked by the activities that have taken place recently. I saw a statement that somebody wants to be speaker. That came as a shock to me because that is not what we agreed. What are agreements for?” wondered Oulanyah, who spoke to New Vision on Monday.
Kadaga has been in Parliament for 32 years since 1989. She has spent 20 years in Speakers office. And on Saturday while appearing on what looked like a sponsored political talk show on Capital FM, she unequivocally stated that in June this year she will be speaker again.
But she forgets that during the negotiations brokered by Museveni and CEC, it was agreed that this would be her final lap.
“The chairman of the party communicated that in the interest of the party, the status quo should be maintained and Kadaga should be allowed to serve more five years to make 10 years just like her predecessor Ssekandi then I come after that,” Oulanyah further said.
Agreement
After the stormy State House meeting in 2016, the two parties agreed; Oulanyah runs as deputy while Kadaga retains her seat.
Oulanyah faced off with Muhammad Nsereko whom he defeated resoundingly.
“Madam Kadaga was saying that Ssekandi did 10 years, I should also be allowed to do more 10 years and even in communication to the NRM caucus the President said the same. We shook hands and we thought that was the position really.”
Oulanyah is startled at how leaders like Kadaga can betray their own conscious for selfish gains.
“When elders do things they don’t mean, what message do they send to these young people that are coming on?” Some of them take us to be their role models. When you say something in public you stand by it. This what I grew up knowing,” he said.
But he maintains that will take on whoever runs against him.
“I will come up in May and run for Speaker.”
