Legislators from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus will today meet at State House in Entebbe to decide the party’s choice for the positions of speaker and deputy speaker of the 12th Parliament.
Parliament will elect its leaders tomorrow (May 25) during its first sitting at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Several NRM MPs who spoke to BBEG Media confirmed they had already undergone Covid-19 testing at Parliament as part of the standard procedures required before attending meetings at State House.
Fredrick Angurra said the caucus gathering was part of the party’s established engagement programme.
“The caucus meeting is one of the scheduled engagements for members. Whenever the programme is released, we converge at Entebbe or any other venue as directed,” Angurra said.
Kefa Kiwanuka said the meeting would most likely consider recommendations from the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) on the positions of speaker and deputy speaker.
Kiwanuka said some party members were backing Jacob Oboth Oboth for speaker and Thomas Tayebwa for deputy speaker, although other contenders remained in the race.
Charles Ngabirano, an NRM-leaning Independent legislator, said the meeting would be critical in restoring public confidence in Parliament following recent corruption allegations that tainted the institution’s image.
Ngabirano argued that anti-corruption efforts should extend beyond Parliament to other arms of government, including the Executive and Judiciary.
“We need reforms and accountability across government institutions so that public trust can be restored,” he said.
Opolot Okwalinga described the caucus meeting as an orientation session that would help legislators align with the NRM manifesto and prepare for future parliamentary business.
Meanwhile, the NRM yesterday officially closed the exercise for receiving expressions of interest from MPs seeking to contest for the positions of speaker and deputy speaker.
Dr Tanga Odoi, the chairman of the NRM electoral commission, confirmed that three aspirants had expressed interest in the speaker’s position while 16 candidates were seeking to become deputy speaker.
Odoi said the exercise followed a directive issued by the party’s CEC, which sat on May 22, 2026.
According to Odoi, all aspirants will appear before the CEC for vetting on Sunday morning before the party decides its official position.
“The people who have expressed interest in the positions of speaker and deputy speaker will be vetted by the Central Executive Committee tomorrow. After presentation by the electoral commission, CEC will guide on the way forward,” he said.
The race for the leadership of the 12th Parliament has recently taken several twists, with intense lobbying within the ruling party and growing speculation over possible compromises among senior NRM figures.
The contest follows months of political tension surrounding the outgoing parliamentary leadership, particularly after allegations of financial impropriety and public criticism over Parliament’s expenditure under the previous administration of Speaker Anita Annet Among.
Among, who is the subject of the investigations said last week that she will not be seeking reelection.
Today’s caucus meeting is therefore expected not only to settle internal competition but also to shape the political direction of the next Parliament amid mounting public scrutiny over accountability, service delivery, and governance.
