A disgruntled Jacob Oulanyah early January before general elections rushed to President Yoweri Museveni to express his discomfort with several NRM Members of Parliament who had vowed to reelect Rebecca Kadaga as their Speaker.
These MPs some who were campaigning said whether they return to Parliament or not, they will make sure Mr Oulanyah doesn’t occupy the office of Speaker.
Oulanyah, according to sources confided into Museveni that Kadaga’s group led by Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa had colossal sums of money which they had kept to inject into the election come May.
A seemingly unbothered Museveni told Oulanyah, “Don’t worry Jacob. They have money, you have me.”
Museveni wondered why Oulanyah was in panicking yet CEC had reached an agreement in 2016 that Kadaga was serving her last five years.
“This is the party’s decision. We can’t be dishonest, otherwise what signal are we throwing to these young people we are leading in our party,” Museveni reportedly assured Mr Oulanyah.
In 2019, while meeting a few friends in Kampala at a certain hotel to reminisce on the good old days, Hon Oulanyah boldly assured his pals that “I am either the Speaker or Speaker of the 11th Parliament, unless I am in my grave.”
He said, Central Executive Committee (CEC) had reached an agreement and there was no question about that.
Asked what could be Museveni’s position (then), Oulanyah said he didn’t know what the President was thinking.
INSIDE STORY
Early 2019, Museveni learnt of serious tension in Parliament between Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah. This was after Hon Kadaga had returned from Nairobi- Agha Khan Hospital where she had spent weeks receiving specialized treatment
Kadaga was flown to Kenya in critical condition and required specialized treatment after she collapsed at her home.
Upon return, Ms Kadaga alleged that there are some people, “who wished me dead.”
The tension escalated to a point that some Kadaga’s associates alleged that Oulanyah could have been behind her illness.
Museveni, well known for operating underground launched investigations into what had caused tension between Oulanyah and Kadaga yet the two had been reunited in 2016 and they knew the party’s position on who becomes next Speaker- therefore needed no bickering.
The first report from Internal Security Organization (ISO) pinned Kadaga as nursing more ambitions to retain her seat as Speaker.
Museveni commissioned another intel determined to reach the bottom of this matter.
He said the squabbling would derail government projects since Parliament is in charge of passing budgets and making policies. Therefore, there is no way how heads of the legislature would be holed in fights and expect progress in “that Parliament.”
The second brief ratified the earlier findings that indeed Ms Kadaga wouldn’t relinquish the seat.
A source, said that security gathered that some MPs had been supporting Kadaga urging her not to quit Speakership since Museveni is also not willing to quit Presidency.
Unsatisfied with the gathering, Museveni slowly made calls to individuals in Parliament of Uganda to corroborate his findings.
“At the end of 2020, he had confirmed that Ms Kadaga was unwilling to honour CEC’s 2016 decision,” said a source.
Museveni launched his guerrilla operations.
In fact, while at Kololo on Monday after witnessing the victory of Oulanyah and his deputy Anita Among at 10pm, the President in his speech revealed how he launched a guerrilla approach at the last minute to fail Kadaga’s bid since CEC had already made a choice.
This website understands that however, Museveni’s approach didn’t begin last Sunday, he had orchestrated a plan as early as 2019.
Museveni intel revealed that Kadaga was undermining not only senior government officials but also the First Family.
Known for his patience, Museveni witnessed Kadaga threatening to reveal classified State House expenditure which Parliament has always approved covertly.
This is after the President criticised Kadaga and Parliament for awarding themselves shs 10 billion in Lockdown in 2020 as other Ugandans grappled with survival in the middle of Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the President remained calm.
Museveni kept probing Kadaga’s popularity among the opposition MPs.
It is against that backdrop that Jacob Oulanyah contested for NRM National Vice Chairman for Northern Uganda against Sam Engola.
Being a CEC member was an added advantage to Oulanyah considering that Kadaga had also been re-elected into CEC.
Museveni strongly backed Oulanyah’s bid for CEC.
Oulanyah won with a landslide.
GENERAL ELECTIONS
As norm to ascertain the President’s performance before general elections, ISO launches intel on which regions/ districts are are likely to vote for him.
The report indicated that Museveni was unpopular in Kamuli, the birthplace of Speaker Kadaga. At the same point Kadaga was very popular and would defeat her rival Salaam Musumba with a huge margin.
Indeed, Kadaga garnered 100000 votes while Musumba trailed with 10000.
It was therefore shocking how a Speaker of Parliament, the number three of the country could win in her constituency and the President loses.
On the other hand, Oulanyah delivered victory to both himself and the President from his constituency and entire Northern region.
Museveni also learnt that Kadaga had hired social media warriors to attack and spread harmful propaganda against Oulanyah and those supportive of his bid.
A source said Museveni doubled his efforts to decisively defeat Kadaga.
After elections, the race gained steam since Kadaga began early campaigns as Oulanyah looked-on in calmness.
According to sources, Kadaga had defied Museveni since the two had held a private meeting and agreed that no one should campaign until CEC takes a decision.
FULL SCALE WAR
In April President Museveni who had been reelected summoned Oulanyah and Kadaga to State House. In attendance were other MPs who nursed ambitions to contest for the two positions of parliament.
Museveni suspended campaigns and grilled Kadaga over defiance.
Museveni said the party would look into the matter after Kyankwanzi retreat.
At Kyankwanzi, although he openly didn’t talk about Speaker’s race until the last day, he had been mobilizing massively to defeat Kadaga.
What further annoyed the President is that Kadaga rejected to appear at Kyankwanzi having been invited in her capacity as Speaker, although Museveni- the Chairman of NRM had ruled that incumbent MPs should stay and finish their work in Parliament.
After every general election, NRM goes into a retreat to Kyankwanzi where new lawmakers were taught the party’s ideology.
A rattled Museveni kept recognizing Oulanyah whose presence at Kyankwanzi caused wild excitement among MPs.
In his last speech as he closed the retreat, Museveni openly said he can lead without Parliament and that Parliament doesn’t run Uganda.
To those who have dealt with Museveni for a long time, this was a clear signal to Kadaga that her time in Parliament as Speaker was up.
LAST STRAW
Museveni asked his PPS Hon Kenneth Omona to write to Parliament notifying of the voting date as 24th May for Speaker and Deputy.
Museveni said CEC and NRM caucus would make a decision.
On 23th- Sunday morning CEC agreed to drop Kadaga and endorse Oulanyah.
A panicky Kadaga announced her decision to stand as Independent candidate saying CEC had not even given her opportunity to present herself and sidelining her was a huge blow to human rights defenders especially women.
On confirming that Kadaga had defied CEC, Museveni commissioned a full scale war to have Oulanyah’s victory.
Although Museveni admitted making calls to “some members” of Parliament urging them to honour the party’s decision, a source said he telephoned close to 300 MPs both in NRM and other moderates in the opposition on Sunday Night and wee hours of Monday before voting.
He sat at Kololo- voting venue since morning until 10pm when all NRM candidates Jacob Oulanyah and Anita Among were successfully elected Speaker and deputy Speaker respectively.
In his speech, the President talked tough insisting that the party is bigger than individuals.
