Leaders from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the Busoga sub-region have intensified efforts to mobilise support for Anita Among ahead of the forthcoming election for Speaker of Parliament.
The mobilisers say they have conducted consultations with Members of Parliament from Busoga and report what they describe as overwhelming backing for Among’s candidature. Out of the 44 MPs from the sub-region, they claim that 42 have pledged to vote in her favour.
They argue that Among merits another term, citing her stewardship of the 11th Parliament and her role in campaigning for Yoweri Museveni during the last general elections. According to the group, her leadership has fostered relative stability in Parliament, with less internal wrangling compared to previous sessions.
Speaking on behalf of the mobilisers, Muhammad Ntuyo, the NRM Party Secretary for Jinja City, said the consultations reflected strong consensus among Busoga legislators.
“We have 44 MPs in the Busoga sub-region, but so far 42 have promised to vote for Anita Among,” Ntuyo said. He added that the Speakership is a national office that should not be reduced to regional considerations.
Ntuyo also addressed the candidature of Persis Namuganza, who hails from Busoga, emphasising that the decision should be guided by national interest rather than regional allegiance.
“We are not voting for Speaker of Busoga Lukiiko. Whoever is propagating the idea that Busoga MPs should vote for Persis Namuganza should learn to separate national politics from regional politics,” he said.
Edith Tukahirwa, Chairperson of the NRM Entrepreneurs League, echoed similar sentiments, stressing the importance of continuity in leadership. She argued that retaining Among would consolidate gains made during her tenure.
Other party mobilisers also weighed in. Majid Musongola, an NRM mobiliser in Jinja City, called upon MPs across the country to support Among’s re-election bid.
Veteran politician Hajji Badru Watongola, an NRM cadre from Kamuli District, urged MPs from his district — including Masitula Namatovu, John Teira, Matayo Bazanya, and Rebecca Kadaga — to support Among, describing her as the party’s flag bearer.
Watongola reflected on Busoga’s historical hold on the Speakership, noting that Kadaga served for two decades as Deputy Speaker and later Speaker of Parliament. He said the region should recognise that other parts of the country also deserve an opportunity to occupy the office.
“We should come to reality that having had this position for 20 years, it is time for other regions also to enjoy. Nobody can again give us that position; we need to come to reality,” Watongola said.
