KAMPALA
Parliament has announced that the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament will be held on May 25, following the conclusion of the swearing-in of Members of Parliament.
Peter Odeke, an official from the Office of the Clerk to Parliament, confirmed that the House will proceed to its first major business after the induction of legislators.
“After the swearing-in of Members of Parliament, the first business shall be conducted on May 25 when they shall elect their Speaker and Deputy Speaker,” Odeke said.
The swearing-in ceremony for newly elected MPs entered its second day on Thursday, May 14, and is expected to conclude on Friday, May 15. Today, about 150 MPs took their oaths of office as the 12th Parliament formally gets underway.
Attention has already shifted to the race for the top leadership positions in the House, with several contenders expressing interest in the Speakership.
At least six individuals, largely aligned to the National Resistance Movement (NRM), have so far declared interest in the position. These include Persis Namuganza (Independent), Lydia Wanyoto, Florence Asiimwe, Yorke Odria, Nobert Mao (DP), and the incumbent Speaker Anita Among.
Although the field appears wide, parliamentary observers say the contest is largely shaping into a two-horse race between Among and Mao, both of whom are expected to draw significant political backing ahead of the vote.
In the race for Deputy Speaker, the contest is comparatively narrower. The incumbent Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa is seeking to retain the position, while a new entrant, Iddi Basajjabalaba, has also expressed interest.
Basajjabalaba is the son of prominent businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba.
The election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is expected to set the tone for the legislative agenda of the 12th Parliament, which begins its full operations immediately after the leadership polls.
