Alenyo Joins Race For Deputy Speaker Amid Quiet Revolt Against NRM CEC Position

A fresh undercurrent of defiance is beginning to ripple through the 12th Parliament as Hon. Marshall Alenyo, a seasoned city lawyer and newly elected legislator, throws his hat into the ring for the position of Deputy Speaker—despite reports that the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) had already informally ring-fenced the top parliamentary slots.

According to insider accounts within the ruling party corridors, CEC had reportedly settled on Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among for Speaker and Hon. Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker. However, a section of newly elected MPs, particularly first-timers with independent political temperaments, are said to be increasingly uncomfortable with what they view as a pre-determined internal arrangement that sidelines parliamentary autonomy.

It is within this brewing atmosphere that Alenyo’s candidature emerges—not merely as a personal ambition, but as a symbolic assertion that Parliament is not a rubber stamp of party caucus resolutions.

The campaign artwork already circulating portrays Alenyo before the Ugandan flag, addressing a microphone, accompanied by the message: “Visionary Leadership For A Better Uganda – Your Voice In Parliament.” The optics are deliberate, signaling institutional respect, patriotism, and a reformist tone.

From Courtrooms To The August House

Hon. Marshall Alenyo is not a political lightweight parachuting into national leadership. He is widely known within Kampala’s legal fraternity as a formidable litigation mind and meticulous legal strategist.

Before his election to Parliament, Alenyo built his reputation in the legal corridors of the capital, representing clients in complex civil and administrative matters. His grasp of statutory interpretation and procedural law earned him recognition among peers as a lawyer with both intellectual depth and practical grounding.

His professional trajectory also saw him serve within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, specifically at the Passport Office, where he was involved in administrative and regulatory functions critical to national documentation processes. Those who worked with him during this period describe him as methodical, incorruptible, and systems-oriented—traits that many MPs now argue are precisely what the Deputy Speaker’s office requires.

The Deputy Speaker’s role, after all, is as much administrative and procedural as it is political.

Political Lineage And Grassroots Roots

Alenyo’s political consciousness is deeply rooted in family legacy. He is the son of a former LC V Chairperson of Jonam, a region where grassroots leadership and community engagement are taken seriously.

Growing up under the shadow of a district political leader appears to have shaped his appreciation for governance structures from the lowest to the highest levels. Colleagues say this background gives him a rare blend of local government understanding and national institutional awareness.

It is this blend that his supporters in Parliament argue positions him as a bridge between the political class and the procedural demands of the House.

A Quiet Rebellion Brewing In Parliament

What makes Alenyo’s candidature particularly significant is not just who he is, but the timing of his declaration.

Sources indicate that a number of new MPs are privately expressing dissatisfaction with what they term as “predetermined parliamentary leadership.” Some are reportedly encouraging alternative candidates to stand—not necessarily to win outright, but to assert the principle that Parliament must retain the constitutional independence to elect its own leadership.

In this context, Alenyo’s entry into the race is being interpreted as the first visible manifestation of that quiet rebellion.

While no open confrontation with the party hierarchy has yet occurred, the mere presence of alternative candidates could test the cohesion of the NRM caucus and expose fissures between party structures and parliamentary sovereignty.

More Than A Contest, A Statement

For many observers, this is shaping into more than a contest for the Deputy Speakership. It is a subtle contest over where ultimate authority in legislative leadership should reside—within the party’s Central Executive Committee or within the plenary wisdom of elected MPs.

Alenyo’s supporters argue that his legal background, administrative experience, and political heritage make him a credible candidate capable of presiding over parliamentary business with discipline and neutrality.

Whether he succeeds or not, his decision to run has already altered the conversation in the corridors of Parliament. It has given voice to a faction of MPs who believe that leadership positions in the House should not be treated as foregone conclusions.

As the race gathers momentum, Hon. Marshall Alenyo may well become the face of an unexpected test of parliamentary independence in Uganda’s 12th Parliament.