SPEAKERSHIP: Tension Grips NRM Heavyweights as Mao, Kiwanuka Kiryowa Set to Eat Big in Museveni’s New Cabinet

KAMPALA: Andrew Mwenda, a prominent Ugandan journalist and founder of The Independent magazine, has revealed that the election of Norbert Mao, the Democratic Party (DP) president general, as Laroo-Pece Division Member of Parliament (MP), is likely to see him appointed as either Vice President or Prime Minister in President Museveni’s incoming government.

Highly placed sources, both in intelligence and in the Deep State, have confirmed that chances are minimal for Museveni to retain both Robina Nabanja as Prime Minister and Jessica Alupo as Vice President in the coming government, and the process to search for their replacements has kicked off.

During his campaigns, Mao revealed that President Museveni directed him to contest for the MP seat and ordered Richard Todwong, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General, to ensure his victory. An inside source disclosed that Museveni wants to use Mao to reward people from Northern Uganda for voting for him and NRM overwhelmingly.

Daily Post has learned that after the death of Jacob Oulanyah, the former Speaker of Parliament, retired Chief Justice Owiny Dollo and Gen Salim Saleh started working on Mao to join Museveni’s government to replace Oulanyah.

Mwenda revealed that every morning and evening, Museveni talks to Gen Salim Saleh before handling other issues, although they both denied talking to each other daily. Gen Saleh advised Mao to join Museveni’s government, as chances are high that he would benefit significantly in the coming government.

Sources claim that the elders in Acholi are not interested in their son taking the position of Vice President but want him to reclaim Oulanyah’s speakership position to replace the current Speaker, Annet Anita Among, or her deputy, Thomas Tayebwa.

Daily Post understands from several sources that Museveni is likely to deploy his trusted ally, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, in the Office of the Prime Minister to supervise ministers and other government officials. This website has established that despite Nabanja being Prime Minister, Museveni has been assigning Kiwanuka sensitive issues, particularly those concerning foreign affairs.

The website can exclusively report that after Mao’s victory, elders from Acholi have activated their plan to lobby and ensure that their son becomes either Speaker of Parliament or deputy, and they are confident that with NRM and Museveni’s previous overwhelming support in Acholi, they will achieve their goal.

Sources close to Among told Daily Post Uganda that the Speaker is aware of the ongoing calculations and that is why she fought to be announced unopposed in Bukedea district as their woman member of parliament, and her husband Moses Magogo in Budiope East, to increase her visibility in presidential campaigns and give her bargaining power in the formation of the new government.

However, sources quoted Nabbanja warning Among, “My daughter, be careful with those things of being unopposed; let people contest against you because what I know, Museveni is not happy with those things.” Among has previously boasted that she will retain her office until she finishes her ten-year term and insisted that her successor will be Tayebwa.