As parliament commemorates 100 years since its formation, we take a look at the Speakers who have steered the House since Uganda gained her independence.
Right after independence, the Speakership has been a highly coveted position which has attracted a number of high profile personalities.
Among them is President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni was the fifth Speaker of Parliament. Having come to power in 1986, as the Chairman of the National Resistance Council, Museveni automatically became Speaker since it was the legislative body of government then.
Hajji Moses Kigongo, as NRC Vice Chairman between 1986 and 1996, was as well the Deputy Speaker of the fourth and fifth Parliaments (1986 -89 and 89- 96, respectively).
With the election of the new Parliament under the 1995 constitution, a new Speaker – the late James Wapakhabulo – took over from Museveni.
Wapakhabulo became the first Speaker elected by members of the House.
He reigned until 1998 when he was replaced with the then Koboko MP Francis Ayume.
Ayume held the position untill 2001 when current Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi took over from him.
Ssekandi was Speaker until 2011 when he was appointed Vice President, a position he holds up to date.
Ayume on the other hand became Attorney General in 2001 until his death in a motor accident in 2004.
Below are all the Speakers of Parliament since independence in 1962;
Sir John Bowes Griffin (1962 -1963)
GrifÂfin was UganÂda’s first post-independence Speaker of ParÂliaÂment.
He had previously served as Chief JusÂtice of Uganda from 1952-1958.
Bowes GrifÂfin was born on 19 April 1903 to Sir Charles James GrifÂfin, and held sevÂeral poÂsiÂtions in difÂferÂent colonies inÂcludÂing beÂing the AtÂtorÂney GenÂeral in the BaÂhamas in the mid-1930s and actÂing as GovÂerÂnor and Chief JusÂtice for varÂiÂous peÂriÂods.
He handed over the Speaker-ship of the first ParÂliaÂment to NarenÂdra M. PaÂtel in May 1963.
NarenÂdra M. PaÂtel (1963- JanÂuÂary 1971)

Narendra became Speaker in May 1963, replacing Sir Griffin who had assumed the position at independence the previous year.
Patel, the first non-European to hold the position is remembered for having reigned during the most chaotic constitutional period when President Obote overthrew the independence constitution and later replaced it with the 1967 Pigeon-hole constitution.
His reign ended when Obote was overthrown by Idi Amin Dada in 1971.
Prof. EdÂward RuguÂmayo (1979-80)

Prof Rugumayo was nominated by the Moshi conference in Tanzania to chair the national assembly while in exile in Zambia.
He had been a minister in Amin’s government between 1971 and 73.
He would chair the NaÂtional ConÂsulÂtaÂtive CounÂcil (NCC) which was the inÂterim ParÂliaÂment of Uganda NaÂtional LibÂerÂaÂtion Front, comÂposed of 32 MemÂbers and later exÂpanded to 125.
FolÂlowÂing the overÂthrow of Idi Amin, NCC conÂtinÂued to be the supreme legÂislaÂtive body unÂtil the genÂeral elecÂtions of 1980.
Prof RuguÂmayÂo’s chairÂmanÂship of the counÂcil ended in 1980, afÂter which he served as minÂisÂter in PresÂiÂdent MuÂsevÂeni’s govÂernÂment in difÂferÂent portÂfoÂlios inÂcludÂing; Trade, Tourism, InÂdusÂtry and InÂterÂnal afÂfairs.
He is curÂrently the chanÂcelÂlor of the UniÂverÂsity of the MounÂtains of the Moon in Fort PorÂtal, Uganda.
FranÂcis K. BuÂtaÂgira (1980-1985)

Mr BuÂtaÂgira, born on 22nd NoÂvemÂber 1942 in Mbarara DisÂtrict, and a HarÂvard UniÂverÂsity gradÂuÂate of MasÂters of Laws, had been a memÂber of the NaÂtional ConÂsulÂtaÂtive CounÂcil for two years from 1979 and a High Court judge beÂtween 1974 and 1979.
He served as the Speaker of the 4th ParÂliaÂment takÂing over from Prof RuguÂmayo in 1980 unÂtil the milÂiÂtary coup by Gen. BazilÂlio Okello overÂthrew the UPC regime on 27 July 1985.
He lost the poÂsiÂtion of Speaker but he conÂtinÂued to be a MemÂber of ParÂliaÂment from 1989 to 1996.
He was later made an amÂbasÂsador to GerÂmany, a poÂsiÂtion he held unÂtil reÂcently when he was reÂlieved of his duÂties.
He beÂcame the PerÂmaÂnent RepÂreÂsenÂtaÂtive to the United NaÂtions in July 2003.
YowÂeri Kaguta MuÂsevÂeni (1986 to 1996)

H.E PresÂiÂdent MuÂsevÂeni served as the chairÂman of the NaÂtional ReÂsisÂtance CounÂcil (NRC), the 5th ParÂliaÂment, afÂter sucÂcessÂfully overÂthrowÂing the govÂernÂment of BazilÂlio Okello.
The NRC was not a naÂtional repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtive counÂcil and had 38 hisÂtorÂiÂcal memÂbers of the NaÂtional ReÂsisÂtance Army.
It was later exÂpanded to inÂclude repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives from around the counÂtry.
In 1993, the NRC passed the ConÂstituent AsÂsemÂbly Statute that esÂtabÂlished and proÂvided for the elecÂtion of the ConÂstituent AsÂsemÂbly DelÂeÂgates to work on the forÂmuÂlaÂtion of the new conÂstiÂtuÂtion.
James WaÂpakhabÂulo (1996 to 1998)

WaÂpakÂabÂulo was born on 23rd March 1945, and was the first elected Speaker of ParÂliaÂment afÂter the proÂmulÂgaÂtion of the 1995 ConÂstiÂtuÂtion of the ReÂpubÂlic of Uganda.
This was the 6th ParÂliaÂment.
He is reÂmemÂbered for havÂing strongly opÂposed the liftÂing of term limÂits in 2005 which led to his fallout with PresÂiÂdent MuÂsevÂeni.
He was apÂpointed secÂond deputy Prime MinÂisÂter and MinÂisÂter of ForÂeign AfÂfairs in 2001
Wapakhabulo died on March 27, 2004.
 FranÂcis Ayume (1998- 2001)

FranÂcis Ayume, a lawyer, was born on AuÂgust 18, 1940 and served as the Koboko MemÂber of ParÂliaÂment from 1996 unÂtil his death in a road acÂciÂdent in 2004.
He was Speaker in the 6th ParÂliaÂment havÂing taken over the speakÂerÂship from Rt. Hon WaÂpakhabÂulo.
AfÂter his speakership reign, Ayume was apÂpointed AtÂtorÂney GenÂeral in 2001.
 EdÂward KiÂwanuka Ssekandi (2001 to 2011)

Born on JanÂuÂary 19, 1943, Mr Ssekandi beÂcame Speaker in 2001 and steered both the 7th and 8th ParÂliaÂments.
He joined acÂtive parÂliaÂmenÂtary polÂiÂtics when he was apÂpointed as a memÂber to the Constituent AsÂsemÂbly in 1993 whose work reÂsulted into the 1995 ConÂstiÂtuÂtion of the RepubÂlic of Uganda.
He was later elected MP for Bukoto County CenÂtral, Masaka, in 1996, a conÂstituency he has repÂreÂsents to date.
He first served as Deputy Speaker unÂder the late James WaÂpakhabÂulo from 1996 to 2001.
He now serves as the Vice PresÂiÂdent of the ReÂpubÂlic of Uganda, a poÂsiÂtion he has ocÂcuÂpied since 2011.
ReÂbecca AlÂitÂwala Kadaga (2011- date)

Rt. Hon Kadaga is the current Speaker of the Uganda, and Woman MemÂber of ParÂliaÂment for the KaÂmuli DisÂtrict.
She was Deputy Speaker from 2001 to 2011.
Ms Kadaga holds Bachelors of Laws, a Diploma in WomÂen’s Law and a MasÂter of Arts DeÂgree in WomÂen’s Law.
She served as the chairÂperÂson of the UniÂverÂsity CounÂcil for Mbarara UniÂverÂsity, beÂtween 1993 and 1996.
In 1996, Hon Kadaga served as SecÂreÂtary GenÂeral of the East African Women ParÂliaÂmenÂtarÂiÂans AsÂsoÂciÂaÂtion and in 1996 to 1998, she was the MinÂisÂter of State for ReÂgional CoÂopÂerÂaÂtion (Africa and the MidÂdle East).
She then served as MinÂisÂter of State for ComÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion and AviÂaÂtion, from 1998 unÂtil 1999.
BeÂtween 1999 and 2000 she was the MinÂisÂter for ParÂliaÂmenÂtary AfÂfairs.
Ahead of May when the eleventh parliament will convene to elect the next Speaker, it’s worth noting that there have been nine(9) speakers since independence.
This means that that number is likely to remain unchanged unless Kadaga is defeated by her deputy Jacob Oulanyah.Â