Vice President Job: Here are the names from which Museveni will reportedly pick Uganda’s Number Two

At least 10 names, including those of people reportedly being backed by powerful lobbyists, are said to be under consideration as President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni moves to make a final decision on who will be Vice President.

Sources close to the presidency say Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi’s time as Vice President is over, and that Museveni is seeking his replacement.

Key factors that will influence Museveni’s choice of speaker, sources say, include regional balance, the Buganda question (in light of Bobi Wine’s NUP wave and Mengo’s demands), the Busoga question (depending on whether Kadaga wins or loses speaker election).

Museveni will also seek to consolidate the gains achieved by his NRM government, and his VP choice could shed light on his succession plan.

In light of the above factors, any of the following could be Uganda’s next Vice President.

Amama Mbabazi

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Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba

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Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga

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JC Muyingo

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Godfrey Kiwanda Ssubi

Rebecca Kadaga

Sources say if Kadaga agreed to quit the speaker race for Jacob Oulanyah, then the search for Vice President would end.

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Jacob Oulanyah

If Kadaga is reelected speaker and Jacob Oulanyah declines to return to the deputy speaker job, he may be appointed Vice President.

However, some sources say if Kadaga became defiant, Museveni would want to counter her by picking a politician from Busoga to be VP, in which case Oulanyah would miss out.

Busoga politicians who the Busoga-Kadaga politics could hand the VP job include:

Esther Mbayo – current presidency minister

Persis Namuganza – junior lands minister

Kasule Lumumba – secretary general, NRM

Ruth Nankabirwa

The government chief whip lost her Kiboga Woman MP seat and is rumored to be on her way out of cabinet but sources say Museveni might surprise her with this juicy appointment.

Mike Mukula

Also said to be returning to cabinet after about a decade is former health minister Capt Mike Mukula.

After tirelessly working to uproot FDC from Teso subregion, Mukula’s return to cabinet might be huge.

Sam Kutesa

One of Museveni’s longest serving ministers, foreign affairs minister Kutesa might be in for an elevation.

In the run up to the 2021 Parliamentary elections, Kutesa quit for his daughter Shartis Musherure, who is currently the Mawogola North MP-elect.