State Minister for Lands Persis Namuganza has declared her intention to challenge Speaker Anita Among for the top parliamentary seat, in a move that signals a deepening rivalry within the ruling establishment.
Ms Namuganza, the Member of Parliament for Bukono County in Namutumba District, confirmed to supporters that she will seek the Speakership in the 12th Parliament.
Her declaration, made during a news briefing at her office on Friday, revives a turbulent history between the two leaders.
In 2023, Parliament voted to censure Namuganza over alleged misconduct, a process widely interpreted by her allies as politically driven.
Despite the setback, she remained defiant, insisting she was being targeted for her independent stance.
Her political resilience was further tested during the 2025/2026 electoral cycle when she lost the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party card in the primaries.
Refusing to step aside, Namuganza ran as an independent candidate and won, consolidating her reputation as a formidable grassroots mobilizer in Busoga sub-region.
Ms Namuganza is widely regarded as politically aligned to former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, whose own rivalry with Among reshaped internal dynamics in the 11th Parliament.
While Among maintains firm control of parliamentary leadership and backing from sections of the NRM establishment, Namuganza’s entry into the race introduces uncertainty into what many assumed would be a straightforward retention bid.
She joins Justice minister Norbert Mao, who won the Laroo-Pece Division in Gulu City and declared his intention to wrestle the seat from Among.
This developing story will be updated
