Rakai Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Juliet Kinyamatama Suubi has announced her bid to contest for the position of Speaker of Parliament in the coming August house.
Kinyamatama made the announcement on Wednesday in a press conference held at Parliament where she noted that come May 2021, she will race against the four other candidates who include the incumbent Rebecca Kadaga, the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) spokesperson and current Opposition chief-whip, and newly elected Bukoto Central MP Richard Sebamala of the Democratic Party (DP).
Kinyamatama who secured parliamentary seat as an independent candidate says that she is not fighting anyone but looking to represent the interests of the youths.
She says that as an MP-elect she qualifies to stand for the position of Speaker and after consultations, she found out that she has good ground.
She adds that as an MP she stood firm by moving a motion against the use of dollars for payment of rent, and also was the main MP fighting for the South Sudan traders to be paid.
If voted the Speaker, Hon. Kinyamatama says she will ensure that Parliament becomes more accountable to Ugandans, something which is currently an issue. She says she will ensure she gives quarterly updates to the public on bills and proposals before the house.
When asked if her bid would not create friction among her top bosses including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, she said that she comes to present her self as a candidate who qualifies, adding that it is not about who else has expressed interest in the seat.
Kinyamatama was flanked by Gyaviira Ssemwanga, the Buyamba County MP, who is the leader of her campaigns. Ssemwanga said that the youths need to be represented in this contest.
She says that her intentions as speaker is mainly to represent the youths who are the majority in the country and will ensure that Parliament will attend to youths and Women a lot. She says that if she is elected Speaker, she will ensure that all government agencies employ 50% of the youths in the country.
She becomes the first woman to ever contest against Rebecca Kadaga for the position of speaker of Parliament.
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