Inside Bobi Wine’s NUP MPs meeting with Kadaga as race for speaker heats up

The race for the next Speaker of Parliament has deservingly eaten away the public’s attention to the January 14 general elections.

The fight for the head of the legislative arm of government has attracted four candidates so far.

These include the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Rebecca Kadaga and Jacob Oulanyah, Ssemujju Nganda of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Richard Ssebamala of the Democratic Party (DP).

These have already embarked on campaigns to win voters: MPs.

Last week, Kadaga launched her campaigns with over 60 MPs in attendance, both from the ruling side and opposition.

Last week’s launch was however not the first campaign meeting along that line according to Pearl Times News’ findings.

We have since established that a week before the Speke Resort Munyonyo launch, Kadaga had invited all the 61 NUP MPs for an evening tea party  to drum up support for her bid.

In the meeting that happened at Kabira Country Club in Bukoto, which Bobi Wine stealthily joined, according to our sources, Kadaga told the new MPs that her promise to them is an independent parliament where all members of the various political affiliations will feel they belong.

She went through a number of past occasions where she has stood long in defending the independence of the parliament when threatened to be devoured by the executive as the seemingly contented MPs nodded continuously in satisfaction.

There then came Bobi Wine’s time to speak.

And as expected, our sources further revealed, it was only praise for the woman he said has always exhibited a unique character in defending the defenseless and downtrodden.

Bobi Wine reportedly said that even though he and Kadaga belonged on different sides politically, he still strongly believed she not only had what it takes to steer Parliament forward but also had the capacity to drive Uganda forward as head of the executive (president).

He then asked NUP MPs to support Kadaga and wait for their time to demand for equality in the House.

In unison, the MPs, majority of whom were in attendance, agreed to vote for Kadaga when the time comes in May this year.

Kadaga has been Speaker since 2011, having served as Deputy Speaker between 2001 and 2011 under Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi.