Aceng Emerges for Deputy Speaker in Post-Oulanyah Balancing Move

Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng is increasingly being mentioned in ruling party circles as a possible candidate for Deputy Speaker of Parliament in a major political arrangement aimed at balancing regional interests following the death of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.

Highly placed NRM sources say the emerging plan could see Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth elevated to Speaker of Parliament while current Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa is moved to Cabinet in a senior ministerial role.

Under the same arrangement, Vice President Jessica Alupo is expected to retain her position, leaving the Deputy Speakership as one of the key offices through which the ruling National Resistance Movement could reward Northern Uganda for its overwhelming support in the 2026 elections.

Political insiders say Aceng’s name has gained traction because she combines technocratic experience, strong mobilisation credentials in Lango and growing national visibility following her stewardship of the Health Ministry during difficult periods including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her possible elevation would also carry strong symbolic significance in Northern Uganda, where many leaders have quietly argued that the region lost a powerful voice after Oulanyah’s death in 2022.

Oulanyah, an Acholi politician, had defeated former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga in a fiercely contested NRM internal race before later dying while still serving as Speaker.

Sources within the ruling party say rewarding Lango through Aceng’s appointment is increasingly being viewed as politically strategic after the sub region voted heavily for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the recently concluded general elections.

During a thanksgiving rally at Lango College Grounds attended by thousands of supporters, Museveni openly praised the region for what he called “massive votes” and wise political choices.

“Thank you very much for the massive votes you gave me, may God bless you,” Museveni told supporters, while urging leaders to ensure Parish Development Model and Emyooga programs reach more households.

Aceng, who welcomed Museveni during the event, said Lango had backed him with 80.4% of the vote and credited the NRM government for major improvements in healthcare and infrastructure in the region.

“I’m very happy to note that heart surgeries, brain surgeries, dialysis are all made in Lira hospital,” Aceng said, as senior NRM leaders framed the region’s voting pattern as a major political turning point.

Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua and ESO Director General Joseph Ocwet also praised Lango for backing Museveni overwhelmingly, with Ocwet saying development in the region had “gone beyond expectations.”

The emerging calculations come amid intense maneuvering over the leadership of the 12th Parliament after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the Patriotic League of Uganda withdrew support for Speaker Anita Annet Among and later endorsed Oboth Oboth for Speaker.

If the arrangement materialises, analysts say it would allow the NRM to spread top government positions across key regions, with Alupo remaining Vice President from Eastern Uganda, Oboth Oboth becoming Speaker from Eastern Uganda, and Aceng taking the Deputy Speakership from Northern Uganda, while also easing internal tensions created after Oulanyah’s death.

For now, however, discussions remain fluid as Museveni continues consultations ahead of the formal election of parliamentary leaders.