Let NRM CEC Members Vote for Speaker Race Flagbearer: Anita Among Pleads with Museveni During State House Meeting

The speaker of the 11th parliament of Uganda, Anita Among has used today’s State House Entebbe meeting between her and Yoweri Museveni to tell the president to allow NRM CEC members vote for speaker flagbearer, The Pearl Times has learnt.

Anita Among understands the power of NRM CEC’s endorsement in winning races for parliament’s top leadership.

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has, over the years, emerged as a powerful force behind Uganda’s parliamentary Speaker races, effectively determining outcomes long before MPs cast their votes.

While Members of Parliament (MPs) retain the constitutional mandate to elect its leadership, internal party processes—guided by CEC and ultimately influenced by President Yoweri Museveni—have become the decisive factor.

The 2021 Speakership race marked a turning point in Uganda’s legislative politics when CEC endorsed Jacob Oulanyah over incumbent Rebecca Kadaga. The decision followed intense consultations chaired by Museveni and was aimed at consolidating party unity amid growing internal divisions.

Kadaga, who had served as Speaker for a decade, chose to defy the party position and contested as an independent candidate within Parliament. However, the weight of the NRM’s endorsement proved overwhelming. Oulanyah won decisively with 310 votes against Kadaga’s 197, underscoring the binding nature of CEC resolutions on ruling party MPs.

The decision was both strategic and symbolic—it reaffirmed party supremacy while signaling a generational shift within the NRM. It also exposed the risks faced by even senior figures who fall out of alignment with the party’s top leadership.

The death of Oulanyah in March 2022 once again placed CEC at the centre of a critical leadership transition. The committee moved swiftly to avoid a vacuum, endorsing then-Deputy Speaker Anita Among as the party’s official candidate.

Among’s endorsement was driven by her role in presiding over parliamentary business during Oulanyah’s illness, as well as her growing acceptance within NRM ranks. The decision also reflected lessons from the divisive 2021 race, with CEC keen to avoid another internal contest that could fracture party cohesion.

With the NRM holding a dominant majority in Parliament, the endorsement effectively settled the race. Among went on to win overwhelmingly, defeating opposition candidate Asuman Basalirwa and cementing her position as Speaker.

Across both contests, CEC’s role has evolved into that of a political kingmaker. Its decisions are typically reached through closed-door deliberations before being presented to the NRM parliamentary caucus for endorsement, effectively binding MPs to a unified position.

These decisions are designed to maintain party discipline and prevent fragmented voting in Parliament. The approach ensures that the NRM, which commands a numerical majority, speaks with one voice in leadership elections.

This centralisation of decision-making has, however, raised questions about internal democracy within the party since CEC endorsements often pre-determine outcomes, reducing parliamentary elections to a formality rather than a competitive process.

2026 Speaker Race: Continuity vs Internal Dissent

As Uganda approached the 2026 Parliament, CEC initially sought to maintain continuity by endorsing Speaker Anita Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa for re-election.

The endorsement effectively froze internal competition, with only the incumbents forwarded to the NRM caucus. Party leaders framed the move as a strategy to preserve stability and avoid the divisions that had characterised earlier contests.

However, the decision quickly triggered discontent within party ranks. Several aspirants and CEC members objected, arguing that the process sidelined other candidates and undermined internal democratic practices. The pushback exposed growing tensions within the NRM over how key leadership positions are decided.

Museveni Reopens the Race

In response to the backlash, Museveni intervened during an NRM retreat at Kyankwanzi, signaling a shift in approach. He clarified that CEC’s endorsement was not final and that broader consultations would be undertaken to allow more inclusive participation.

This intervention effectively reopened the Speaker and Deputy Speaker races, injecting uncertainty into what had appeared to be a settled contest. It also underscored Museveni’s central role as the ultimate arbiter in party decision-making.

Museveni framed CEC’s role as advisory rather than absolute. His position sought to balance the need for party unity with demands for a more open and competitive process.

Anita Among’s Pleas

As she went for a high stakes meeting at State House Entebbe on Thursday, 14 May 2026, Anita Among understood that her political future rested in Museveni’s hands.

A member of the NRM CEC – in her capacity as the second national vice chairperson (female) of the NRM – Anita Among also understands the power of the party’s top organ in deciding speaker and deputy speaker races.

With intelligence reports about her reportedly working against her, according to sources, Anita Among pleaded with Museveni to take the vote to NRM CEC.

That race, sources further said, would be between Anita Among and any candidate preferred by Museveni or any other interested NRM MPs.

Meanwhile, during the heated State House meeting, Anita Among reportedly told Museveni that it was former speaker Rebecca Kadaga fighting her and that she wanted her job. (See Details Here).

Ahead of the meeting at State House Entebbe, a special meeting of about five NRM CEC top leaders – excluding Anita Among and her allies – was reportedly held to discuss the speaker’s political future. (See Details Here).

There is also noise about Speaker Anita Among’s wealth, with ‘her UK house’ and ‘Rolls Royce’ doubling her troubles.