By Spy Uganda
Kampala: As the political pressure for the position of the speaker and deputy speaker of the parliament of Uganda heats up, the current speaker Alitwala Kadaga who is working day and night to retain her hotly contested seat has warned her “political enemy” the government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa of vulgarizing her campaigns.
Kadaga via her Facebook page says that several MPs and herself are appalled at the vulgarisation of campaigns for the office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker through practices such as the printing of posters, t-shirts, distribution of pens, among others hence asking the Committee on Rules and Privileges to intervene immediately.
https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaKadagaUG/posts/3677290225724053
Kadaga also accuses Nankabairwa of fronting falsehoods trying to show that the elected leaders in the NRM CEC already chose to campaign for Kadaga’s strongest rival dubbed the current deputy speaker Jacob Oulanya.
“Secondly, claims by one Minister that she sits on the NRM party’s Central Executive Committee (NEC), and that she was in attendance when certain national leadership positions were ring-fenced for particular individuals, are false. She doesn’t sit in CEC. This Minister is disseminating falsehoods, especially on social media,” said Kadaga.
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She adds, “It would be undemocratic to build a future Assembly even before it is elected.”
The development comes at a time when the opposition Chief Whip and Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has officially joined the Speaker’s race. The offices of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will fall vacant with the expiry of the term for the 10th Parliament in May this year.
While launching his bid for the speaker’s seat at a hastily organised press conference in the precincts of Parliament, Ssemujju listed five attributes that he believes will guide the MPs in the election of the speaker.
He explained that MPs want a speaker who will be impartial while presiding over parliament, a speaker who will be accessible to all, a speaker who will distribute available opportunities in Parliament equally, a speaker who will not take offence when criticized for the good management of Parliament and a speaker who will not personalize the office.
“I’m going to be a speaker for every Member of Parliament and ill handle disagreements with colleagues and other subordinates who serve us in parliament in the most professional and dignified manner possible,” said Ssemujju. When quizzed on whether he is the opposite choice for speaker Ssemujju stated that he is not claiming to be an opposition candidate but a speaker for all.
