Speaker Race: Ssemujju opens up on reports that he is a ‘Kadaga agent’ working to fail Oulanyah

Parliament Speaker hopeful Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has denied claims that he is working with Rebecca Kadaga to fail Jacob Oulanyah’s bid.

Ssemujju, the Kira Municipality MP, joined the speaker race this week.

He joined Kadaga, speaker since 2011 after she took over from now vice president Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, and Oulanyah, who has been Kadaga’s deputy for a decade.

Ssemuju says he joined Parliamentary journalism when James Wapakhabulo was still a Speaker of Parliament, and has enough experience.

That having observed, as a journalist and participated in plenary proceedings, steered by four speakers — James Wapakhabulo, Francis Ayume, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi and Rebecca Kadaga — he has enough experience to steer the House.

Ssemujju joined Parliament with Kadaga as Speaker and Oulanyah as deputy.

It is these two he is competing against in the 2021-2026 speaker race.

On Friday, Ssemujju told UBC he was not working for Kadaga nor Oulanyah but felt both had done their part and should create room for others to steer the House.

“Both of them are very good. I am going to do better than them,” Ssemujju, who campaigned for Kadaga in 2016, said.

“You simply make a contribution and give way. Society must keep refreshing itself.”

Claiming he harboured no grudge against Kadaga or Oulanyah, Ssemujju, 47, says he could focus on bigger things after his third term as MP.