KAMPALA-UGANDA/NEWSDAY: Three women from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) are among 13 people who have expressed interest to fill the position of Speaker deputy.
Health minister Jane Ruth Acheng, deputy speaker of parliament Anita Among and Sarah Ochieng Opendi expressed interest to replace fallen speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
Among, who couldn’t attend in person due to medical reasons according to NRM electoral commission chairperson Tanga Odoi expressed interest and submitted her papers through her personal assistant, Mary Athieno. Equally Aceng sent an aide.
The men who have expressed interest include deputy attorney general Kafuuzi Jackson, Atima Jackson, Felix Okot Ogong, Theode Ssekikubo, deputy defence minister Oboth Oboth, Kintu Alex, Okot Jackson and Wakabi Jacckson.
NRM parliamentary caucus spokesperson Alex Brandon Kintu Brandon says that the vacant position of the speakership is open to all the legislators, adding that the caucus will sit on Thursday to front a candidate.
John Baptist Nambeshe, the opposition chief whip said that the opposition lawmakers from the six political parties in parliament that include FDC, NUP, UPC, JEMA, PPP and DP will also convene on Thursday to front a candidate for the position of speaker. JEMA’s Asuman Basalirwa has already expressed interest in the position.
Meanwhile, Among will first face off internal NRM contestants who have also expressed interest including deputy attorney general Jackson Kafuuzi, Dokolo South MP Felix Okot Ogong, West Budama MP Jacob Oboth Oboth, minister Sarah Opendi Achieng among others.
Yesterday Monday, legislators under their loose coalition of the Greater North Parliamentary Forum that includes Teso; Acholi and West Nile convened at the MPs’ lounge of to evaluate potential candidates in their midst to be fronted for the top seat at the August House.
A cabinet meeting chaired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni resolved to hold the election of the speaker this Friday, March 25 to fill the vacuum left by Oulanyah who died on Sunday in Seattle, USA. The election of the speaker shall be presided over by the chief justice or a judge designated by the chief justice.
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