Is Shs10bn MPs’ COVID-19 Cash Linked To Speakership Project?

By Our Reporter 

Inside information indicates that all has been set to have ‘combative’ Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga ditched from the position of speaker parliament.

In the new calculation which has already landed on our desk, Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu is reportedly being prepared by top honchos in the executive to scoop the position after the expiry of Kadaga’s current term.

Our sources suggest that chances for deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah to become next speaker have greatly slimmed after intelligence reports indicated that Kadaga would comfortably defeat him if he is left to stand with her in the next race for Speakership.

In order to appease the northerners in the next government (in case Museveni wins), a project to keep them alive in government has been designed where current deputy chief justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo is going to be named the next chief justice.

The current CJ Bart Katureebe’s term expires soon because of age limit. 

By naming Dollo such, the northerners would have been sorted as they will be heading one of the arms of government.

“This therefore makes Oulanyah vulnerable. Government cannot give two arms of government to one region (north). If Dollo becomes chief justice, Oulanyah will be out of the picture. Besides; Oulanyah cannot defeat Kadaga if the two are left to battle again” sources revealed.

Because Oulanyah is seen as weak to defeat Kadaga, sources said the Dollo calculation will work well in appeasing the northerners and therefore the rest of Uganda will be at liberty to fight of the other two remaining arms of government.

And because Museveni (west) will (in case he wins) be heading the executive, the legislature is now the main point of focus by top strategists.

It is clear that Kadaga wants to stand again.

Her close associates suggest that she will not settle for anything unless she has been defeated democratically for the post of speaker.

“Kadaga wants to stand again and she insists that let voters decide (MPs). You can’t say she has served for two terms when the president has served for more than five terms! Let members decide” sources revealed to us.

Faced with such a situation, Museveni is left in a tricky situation.

To begin with, Kadaga is a member of the top NRM organ-CEC. She therefore, gets information first hand in that organ and also contributes during it’s sittings. Therefore, in case CEC chooses to plot against her, she would immediately combat them at that very moment at that level.

Secondly, insiders suggest that Museveni feels shy to fight her because despite her ‘combative’ way of dealing with challenging national matters, she has never undermined Museveni in Busoga sub-region where she commands 99 percent support and authority.

“She controls Busoga and if anyone tries to fight her among the local politicians, that person will not survive. However, though she controls Busoga, Museveni has never gotten any report that she tells people to vote Opposition. This is why Museveni feels shy to directly fight her” sources explained. Earlier attempts to tame Kadaga’s power prowess in Busoga failed to work out.

It started with Museveni appointing for government chief whip Justine Kasule Lumumba as NRM SG and accorded her all titles and previledges as those for speaker including military escorts and the title of Rt. Honorable.

His strategists according to sources have now found a suitable Challenger in the names of Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu. We have been told that actually, the current battle for the controversial Shs20m given to each MP has something related to the battle for Speakership.

Whereas Kadaga is reported to have coined this deal to secretly mobilize for her 2021 project among MPs, those backing Nankabirwa are using this to politically expose her (Kadaga) as being greedy and anti-people. 

“In the current situation, it is very shameful for the speaker to give this money to MPs when people are dying of hunger because of quarantine” sources explained adding that by maintaining this stance, this is meant to incite the voters against incumbent legislators most of whom Kadaga is backing on to win her new term.

In the calculation, Kadaga thinks that out of the 436 MPs, about 150 of them will make it back to the 11th parliament. These will be a good starting point for her mobilization.

We have, however, learnt that whereas Kadaga is reported to have scored among members with this cash bailout (Shs20m), those backing Nankabirwa in government are also secretly telling her not to react about it as this would spoil her game.

“Being the chief whip, members know she is the one who brought this deal for them. After all, she has always been the one giving out this money to members. Therefore, she cannot come out to reject it or tell members to return it. She knows she would lose political mileage if she opposes it. This is why it is the AG countering speaker Kadaga and members on this money” sources added.

Besides backing Nankabirwa, those plotting Kadaga’s downfall also want to front Lydia Wanyoto (another member of NRM CEC) to come as deputy speaker of parliament in case she wins Mbale woman MP seat against equally powerful MP Connie Nakayenze Ggaliwango.

By fronting Wanyoto for deputy Speakership, this is meant to cool political tempers for Easterners in case Kadaga returns to the race rebelliously.

In the calculation, Kadaga is being plotted to be named next Artoney General just like it was done to former speaker Francis Ayume.

However, political observers say that Museveni managed to name Ayume AG because at that time, he (Museveni) was still energetic enough to fight political battles but now, he cannot sustain some of those battles hence for Kadaga to exploit this and insist on her project. Watch this space!!