The Omoro County MP, Jacob Oulanyah, was on Monday elected as the Speaker of the 11th Parliament following Sunday’s endorsed by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

He squared off with Forum for Democratic Change’s Ibrahim Ssemujju (Kira Municipality) and outgoing Speaker Rebecca Kadaga (Independent). He garnered 310 votes to Kadaga’s 197 and Ssemujju’s 15.

Oulanyah is optimistic that his finest attributes of intelligence, coolness, and a sense of humour will help him carry the day.

“I am not anybody’s yes-man. I have a brain that functions very well. I am able to see what is right and what is not right. I have three principles. One; is it okay with God? Two; is it okay with the law and three; when I take that decision finally, will I sleep well?” he told New Vision recently.

Oulanyah, who has been Deputy Speaker of Parliament since May 19, 2011, said he does not want his children to fear using his name in the future.

“I want them to be proud to carry my name because of the good job I did in serving the people. Those are the things that make me work with caution when I am handling public matters,” he said.

Unlike the previous attempt in 2016 when he was convinced by CEC to bow out of the Speaker race in favour of incumbent Kadaga, he entered the 2021 race determined not to let it happen again.

“I started this journey in 2016 and I intend to finish the race. The next five years of Parliament should not be the same as before. We must change the way things are done at Parliament but above all work to restore public confidence in the institution we send out representatives in,” he said.

Oulanyah said he has disagreed with government positions many times but “I do it in a way that keeps harmony and does not embarrass any particular officeholder.”

“So I will restore cordiality in the way we handle the presidency and the Judiciary. I will also restore the integrity of Parliament.

Members of Parliament are not respected anymore because of procedural issues — the way we do business in Parliament,” he said.

Who is Jacob Oulanyah?

Oulanyah, whose name means winner, was born in Gulu district on March 23, 1965, to Nathan L’okori and Karen Atwon in his grandmother’s grass-thatched house with a mud floor smeared with cow dung.

He went to Lalogi Primary School in Gulu, joined St Joseph’s College Layibi and Kololo Senior Secondary School for his O’ and A’level education, respectively.

In 1991, Oulanyah graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. That same year, he entered law school, also at Makerere University, graduating in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in law.

He served as speaker of the university students’ guild during his time at Makerere.

In 1995, he joined the Law Development Centre (LDC), where he obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice. Following his graduation from the LDC, Oulanyah worked as a lecturer at the centre. During the same time, he began private law practice at the law firm of Oulanyah, Onoria & Company Advocates.

In 2001, he entered politics by successfully contesting for the parliamentary seat of Omoro County in Gulu under the no-party arrangement, constitutionally referred to as the Movement political system.

Oulanyah was, however, a cardholder of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).

In 2005, he chaired the legal and parliamentary affairs committee that handled the Constitutional Amendment Bill that proposed the lifting of the presidential term limits.

He also participated in the peace talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels. In 2006, standing as a UPC candidate, he lost his re-election bid. In July 2006, he quit the UPC and joined NRM.

In 2008, he served as the chairman of the commission of inquiry into the controversial sub-lease of Kisekka Market, one of the municipal markets in the capital Kampala.

In March 2011, Oulanyah was elected to represent Omoro County in the Ninth Parliament, this time on the NRM ticket.

He was elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament on May 19, 2011.

Oulanyah joined CEC for the first time as vice-chairperson for the northern region in August last year.