Zadock Amanyisa | Tayari News
KAMPALA – The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee on Tuesday, 2nd, endorsed the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among and her Deputy, Rt. Hon Thomas Tayebwa as flagbearers for the positions of House Speaker and Deputy, respectively, for the incoming 12th Parliament. This gives a green light for Among and Tayebwa to contest against candidates from other political parties when the time comes to select Parliament’s top offices.
Having been endorsed, Among and Tayebwa’s names will be sent to the NRM caucus for adoption as party candidates for the coveted speaker and deputy positions.
CEC’s choice of Among and Tayebwa pours cold water on the newly elected Member of Parliament for Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Hajji Iddi Basajjabalaba’s hurried ambitions. Last week, after being elected, he announced his plans to run for the position of Deputy Speaker. Hajji Iddi Basajjabalaba is the son of businessman Al Hajji Nassan Basajjabalaba.
Sources familiar to this reporter say during the closed-door CEC meeting on Tuesday, the NRM Entrepreneurs League boss, Al Hajji Basajjabalaba, furiously opposed Tayebwa’s endorsement, accusing him of ‘fighting’ him during last year’s top party elections.
We could not independently verify whether this was the reason Basajjabalaba’s son announced his candidacy for Deputy Speaker or whether Hajji Iddi was backed by his father, though. A source revealed that the issue of Basajjabalaba’s son did not find space in Tuesday’s meeting at State House.
Talking about Among and Tayebwa
Speaker Among, a lawyer and politician, who is the first woman to run the office, was elected House speaker in 2022, taking over from the late Jacob Oulanya following his death in America.
Among, who is the Bukedea District Women Constituency representative, joined the tenth (19 May 2016 to 18 May 2021) when Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga was the Speaker.
Since becoming Speaker of the 11th Parliament, Among has overseen the passage of over 23 bills, including the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, the Computer Misuse Amendment Act (2022), the National Coffee Amendment Act, and the Petroleum Supply (Amendment) Act.
She has focused on promoting a people-centred legislature, boosting women’s empowerment, strengthening regional parliaments, and championing infrastructure development, particularly in her home district of Bukedea.
Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon Tayebwa, who is the Ruhinda North County Member of Parliament, has been in Parliament since 2016. He has previously served as the Government Chief Whip and a member of the National Economy Committee and Natural Resources Committee, among other roles.
Tayebwa takes credit for ably piloting serious parliamentary business and being calm even during intense sessions. His main focus has been on strengthening legislative, economic, and social frameworks.
During his tenure as Deputy Speaker, Tayebwa drove intellectual property reforms for innovation, championed rights for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and enhanced Uganda’s international standing as President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly.
He was elected President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly and Co-chair of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in February 2025, elevating Uganda’s role in global affairs.
Involved in several businesses, Tayebwa has built strong networks and public relations, and this has enabled him to achieve a lot in a short time back home in Ruhinda Constituency.
Roles of the Speaker
Article 82 of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who are elected by Members of Parliament from among their number.
The Speaker is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Commission, the Committee on Appointments and the Business Committee. The Speaker chairs all sittings of Parliament and ensures that debates are handled in accordance with the Rules of Procedure.
As head of the institution of the Legislature, the Speaker represents Parliament in its corporate relations and may, after consultation with the President, prorogue Parliament by proclamation, and also, by proclamation, appoint such a place and time within Uganda where Parliament shall sit.