The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus meeting held in Entebbe has endorsed Jacob Oboth-Oboth and Thomas Tayebwa as the party’s official candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament, following internal party processes that began with a Central Executive Committee (CEC) resolution on Friday.
The endorsement was reached during a caucus sitting at State House Entebbe, where members unanimously voted for the two after their names were presented for approval in line with earlier guidance from the party’s top organ, the CEC.
On Friday, the NRM CEC reportedly deferred the matter of parliamentary leadership to the broader party caucus, directing that Members of Parliament interested in the positions first formally express their interest through the party secretariat before consideration.
Several MPs, including Oboth-Oboth and Tayebwa, complied with the directive, alongside other aspirants, most of whom were reportedly competing for the Deputy Speaker position.
The caucus vote followed the CEC’s earlier endorsement of the two leaders as the preferred candidates for the top parliamentary offices.
Their selection was subsequently subjected to a vote within the caucus, where both were approved unanimously.
Jacob Oboth Oboth, the current Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, is now positioned as the NRM flagbearer for Speaker, while Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker in the previous Parliament, has been retained as the party’s candidate for the same office.
The endorsement comes ahead of the opening of the 12th Parliament, where Members of Parliament are expected to formally elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker on Monday in a process to be presided over by the Chief Justice during the first sitting.
President Museveni is expected to oversee the ceremonial opening of Parliament, including the swearing-in of the elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker after the vote.
However, the internal party process has also been marked by the conspicuous absence of the former Speaker, Anita Among, from both the Friday CEC-related engagements and the subsequent caucus meeting in Entebbe.
Outgoing Speaker Among is facing heightened political uncertainty amid ongoing investigations linked to allegations of corruption, illicit enrichment, and abuse of office.
Several of her properties in Nakasero, Kigo, Ntinda, and her country home in Bukedea District were searched by security operatives, with some luxury vehicles also allegedly confiscated.
The unfolding internal party dynamics come at a critical moment as Parliament prepares to elect its leadership on Monday, May 25, a process that will significantly shape legislative control and political influence over the next five years.
With the NRM caucus now aligned behind Oboth Oboth and Tayebwa, attention shifts to the floor of Parliament, where all elected Members will cast the final vote during Monday’s opening sitting, setting the tone for the 12th Parliament.