The inaudible struggle between the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and her deputy Jacob Oulanyah for the top legislative job has forced ministers to ask for the intervention of President Yoweri Museveni.
ChimpReports has exclusively learnt that on after the weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, three ministers separately walked to the Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa and told her to reach out to Museveni who is also the National Resistance Movement party’s Chairman over the matter which could polarise the institution.
The three cabinet members had a common message to the president which is saving the party from a possible discomfiture in the event that the silent but surging skirmish between the two powerful explodes.
This week’s Cabinet meeting took place at its Library on the 9th floor of the Twin Towers that houses the Office of the President and that of the Prime Minister.
It was chaired by the Vice President Edward Ssekandi since Museveni was landing in Rwenzori region for the second time to hunt for the alleged rebels causing havoc in the area.
The meeting did not mention anything about the hot Speakership race though all members were conscious of the matter, according to sources.
As soon as Ssekandi closed the meeting for members to rush to the next building (Parliament) where a trillion-shilling supplementary budget was being discussed and appropriated by the legislative body, 3 ministers decided to stay behind.
They were targeting Ms Nankabirwa who was still on phone.
One of the ministers who is also a Central Executive Committee member of NRM approached the Chief Whip first before asking her what was in place as far as the battle for the Speaker of Parliament was concerned.
Before Nankabirwa could express herself, two other ministers also joined the small meeting.
The trio wondered why there was no step being taken even in the face of impending explosion.
The ministers, whose names have been withheld for privacy reasons, asked their colleague to use her position and convince the president to act.
“The thing (race) is about to get ugly and we don’t want it to happen that way. We told our Chief Whip not to take the matter lightly but to let the president pronounce himself,” one of the ministers who attended the mini meeting said.
“If he (Museveni) wants the two to maintain their positions let him say it out. If he needs changes let him put is as well.”
Confirmed
When contacted on phone the Government Chief Whip confirmed the development but did not get into details.
“I got that concern but I cannot discuss it in detail with you,” she said.
Ms Nankabirwa added that the president is fully aware of the “normal” battle between Kadaga and Oulanyah.
“The president is already aware of the struggle and it is normal,” she told ChimpReports.
President Museveni recently stopped campaigns for Speaker, saying the NRM CEC would decide on the matter.
He was addressing NRM leaders at National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi in early March.
Kadaga successfully served her term as the Speaker since she was elected in 2011 and like any other job; efficacy and deficit are no exceptions in someone’s record.
Kadaga wants to maintain her position and is said to be seriously carrying out clandestine campaigns.
Oulanyah also successfully served his term as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament since he was put in the position from the backbench.
His predecessors including Kadaga first served as ministers before descending to the number two position in Parliament and five in the country’s political hierarchy.
Oulanyah was a Member of Parliament when he was elected in 2011 as Deputy Speaker.
Unlike Kadaga, Oulanyah has been imprecise in his intentions for Speaker though sources say he is covertly campaigning for the seat.