Speaker Among move rattles NRM power dynamics

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Amid the #UgandaParliamentaryExhibition on March 16, 2024, Speaker Anita Annet Among retreated to her Bukedea political base. At Apopong Primary School where locals had gathered for an NRM voter register update.

Among dropped a calculated bombshell: accusing her predecessors of orchestrating her troubles. While she avoided direct mention, the political radar immediately locked on Rebecca Kadaga, the formidable First Deputy Prime Minister and long-time national vice-chairperson for NRM Women.

Kadaga alias Mama Busoga, a seasoned player in Uganda’s political arena, commands respect both online and offline. At the time, the Kamuli District Woman MP, with a Twitter following that amplifies her presence, was rumoured to be eyeing a return as Speaker, a position she had held for a decade before losing to the late Jacob Oulanyah in 2021.

In Bukedea, a district loyal to the NRM, Among’s comments triggered mixed reactions. Resident District Commissioner, William Wilberforce Tukei, expressed dismay at the apparent infighting. 

“Why these attacks now, in the 11th Parliament? We’ve always stood with the Speaker,” he said. Hajj Arafat Oyo, the NRM publicity secretary, warned that such conflicts could erode the party's gains.

Among meets Buyende voters

The day didn’t end in Bukedea. Among hosted another meeting at her Buyende home situated in Nalina Zone, where she reiterated her resolve. She framed her woes as an attack not just on her but on Bukedea’s aspirations, framing herself as the region's saviour.

“Somebody was Speaker for 20 years, what did they do for you? These old women want to cause us problems and keep us poor,” she charged, rallying locals to “chase them away.” Her words struck a nerve.

The crowd, electrified, broke into a Lusoga folk song underscoring the peril of stagnation: “Ekyalo ekitakula, kili gabana nkwe” (A village that never develops breeds hatred and intrigue). Yet, for insiders, this wasn’t just posturing. According to insiders, Among had planned to announce her bid for the NRM’s first female national vice-chairperson position, a seat Kadaga has held since 2005.

Until last week, when she declared her intentions to unseat Rebecca Kadaga, she had treaded carefully, perhaps to avoid muddying the political waters.

Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister (left), and Speaker Anita Annet Among (right). (File)

Kadaga silent, but not absent

Meanwhile that day, Kadaga, the seasoned Kamuli District Woman MP, was notably 41.4 km away registering as an NRM member in Mbulamuti Town Council, Kamuli district. While her team dismissed rumours of a comeback to the Speaker’s chair, Kadaga, now serving as First Deputy Prime Minister, remains an enigma and nightmare, especially to competitors.

Namuganza fires back

Up until June 20, 2024, when leaders under the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD) ministerial co-ordination committee convened at the Office of the President, tensions remained high.

During the meeting chaired by Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama, lands state minister, Persis Namuganza, passionately decried the crippling poverty afflicting the region.

Lands state minister, Persis Namuganza. (File)

“Basoga are very beautiful and handsome people, but look at our children now,” Namuganza exclaimed. “I was telling my colleague that as I passed through villages, I saw children who are now emaciated and shorter. Even the mangoes they used to eat are gone.”

“As Namutumba, we are feeding Kenya. They bring their lorries into our gardens and take sweet potatoes at throwaway prices. They buy groundnuts and onions straight from the garden. Even watermelons are being taken. Our people are not empowered,” she said.

This desperation, Namuganza argued, has left the Basoga vulnerable to manipulation. Speaking in Lusoga, she condemned the bribery of local youth to disrespect their elders, a practice she warned would haunt the region for generations.

“People we once dismissed as insignificant are now undermining us. We used to call them Bakedi and Badokolo—that’s what we grew up hearing. But now, they are coming into our region and seeking to dominate us. I am angry, and I want you to feel the same anger I have,” she concluded passionately.

“And the reason for all this is poverty, there is nothing. You know when you are poor, you are inferior. To make it worse, we are becoming food insecure,” Namuganza added.

Whereas many in the room, were left confused on who she was referring to, to those in the know, shots had been fired.  

Is Kadaga unstoppable?

Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister. (File)

Although Among's grip on power is tightening thanks to her expanding political network and financial clout, former NUP mobiliser, Moses Bigirwa, argues that uprooting Kadaga from national and local politics shall not be a walkover.

In Kamuli alone, Bigirwa who now leads the Eastern Revolutionary Platform (ERP) pressure group, contends that Kadaga is stronger than ever.

“In terms of political command, Rebecca is still ahead. That is a fact and there is no way you can avoid her if you are into political competition. You can only avoid her if you mind your business. But if you find yourself in direct confrontation with her, you are bound to get problems from society,” he revealed while appearing on YouTube outlet last month.

Adding that “She (Kadaga) is more powerful now than ever before. In fact, even if she contests in the next election without a poster, she will win.”

What Lies Ahead?

To many within Parliament's corridors, the dynamics surrounding Anita Among and former Speaker Kadaga’s descent into political war remain a source of intrigue.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a female lawmaker from Ankole said, Among was perceived as a protégé of the latter.

While many seasoned MPs struggle to secure appointments to coveted committees, one MP expressed surprise that Among, in her inaugural term, was appointed vice-chairperson of COSASE tasked at the time with investigating the high-profile Bank of Uganda-Crane Bank saga.

“She also used to accompany the Speaker across the country on trips. They were perceived to be tight friends,” she added.