Deputy Speaker Oulanyah hands over office

The outgoing deputy speaker of parliament Jacob Oulanya has officially handed over office saying his term of office has ended today.

While handing over, Oulanya said he was going home and never returning to the same office.

"This is government property and I cannot holding onto it when I am no longer deputy speaker. I am not coming back and am going home now my term ends today," he said.

Eyes on the ball

By saying he is not returning to the deputy speaker office, Oulanyah has set his eyes on the Speaker seat.

In the race Oulanyah, who has been deputy Speaker for 10 years is pitted against Rebecca Kadaga who has been speaker for 10 years.

Oulanyah’s camp openly says he is the rightful candidate for party in the speakership race after an alleged 2016 agreement that he lets Kadaga complete her 10 year tenure as speaker of parliament and he takes over from there.

However, on the other side, Kadaga has vehemently dismissed the same, saying there has never been such an agreement.

The Central Executive Committee, which is the top organ of the ruling NRM on Monday referred the matter of deciding their official candidate in the speakership race to the party caucus that is set to sit on Sunday.

According to guidelines released by the NRM electoral commission chairman, Dr. Tanga Odoi, independents will not be allowed to participate in the voting that will be done in a secret ballot.