Before yesterday (May 24, 2021), one would argue that the anonymous support from the people of Uganda could drag, like Nambooze commonly puts it, the former speaker back to her seat.
But, like the old saying goes, numbers don’t lie. Reality hit the Kamuli District Woman Member Of Parliament, Hon. Rebecca Kadaga!
Though popular outside parliament, the former deputy speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, smashed his way to drag his former boss (Kamuli woman MP, Rebecca Kadaga) out of her seat that pundits say she had become used to and could not do without.
Her experience and gender advocacy could not save her from the wrath.
Like Kadaga, Semujju Nganda also had his own share of the bitter butter, trounced by his own, the opposition.
Nganda accused opposition members of disloyalty, by refusing to line behind his back yet they had the same enemy to fight!
Kadaga garnered 197 of the total votes. Jacob Oulanyah got 310 and Nganda collected all the spills that amounted to 15 votes only.
Women movements and activists had earlier on showed their unconditional support for Kadaga and vowed to rally behind her.
These in their defense saw no one fit to fight for the women agenda as the learned friend, Kadaga, could.
They even under looked the position of vice president that would be gifted to the Kamuli woman MP if she accepted and bowed out of speakership race, to leave Oulanyah to battle with the likes of Semujju Nganda and the rest of opposition.
These (women activists and groups) thought that the position (of Vice President) was enticing enough but carried less water as compared to the speakership position where she (Rebecca Kadaga) was the only woman in such a direct and high ranked position.
Kadaga’s loss has come at a time when she is clearly fighting an invisible hand within her party (NRM).
People from Kamuli referred this incident to hypocrisy and that the political party (NRM) will also get a taste of its own after the five years.
The former speaker walked out of Kololo independence grounds, where the first sitting was held, chaired by elected speaker, Oulanyah, disappointed and in deep thoughts, perhaps pondering over her next move.
