Shock as Speaker Among’s ‘blue-eyed’ boy, Buyela crosses to Kadaga’s camp

Eastern Uganda, Uganda: In a dramatic shift that has rattled the political inner circles of Speaker Anita Annet Among (AAA), Buyela Christopher, formerly her most visible media strategist and ‘blue-eyed boy, as the media would call it, has reportedly crossed over to support her rival Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga in the race for NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Region (2025–2030).

Once a fierce digital defender of Speaker Among, Buyela’s move (which we are yet to ascertain) is being interpreted as a major political defection that could shape the outcome of the 2025 CEC polls at Namboole delegates conference.

His alignment with Kadaga, herself a seasoned political heavyweight with enduring influence in the ruling party, signals a potentially seismic realignment within the NRM’s Eastern Region camp ahead of the party’s internal elections.

Buyela rose to prominence in 2018 as the voice behind most of Among’s social media strategy, coordinating online mobilization and crafting digital narratives that boosted her image nationally.

However, his visibility around the Speaker gradually diminished after her elevation to a higher office. Sources say he was quietly edged out of her inner circle and reassigned to the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), where he shifted focus to national mobilization and cadre training.

While no public fallout was announced, analysts now point to that move as the beginning of a silent rift. “He was her most loyal digital foot soldier, but his exclusion from the Speaker’s current core team has left many mobilizers puzzled,” a senior NRM delegate from Tororo said. “Underestimating Buyela’s influence in Eastern Uganda is a miscalculation.”

The turning point appears to have come with Buyela’s increasing public admiration for Rt Hon Kadaga. “He now posts her photos regularly on WhatsApp, and there’s a new tone in his political messaging,” said a source close to him.

His shift has also ignited murmurs among grassroots NRM mobilizers, with some expressing dissatisfaction over Speaker Among’s approach to loyal cadres. Political watchers note that Buyela retains a loyal grassroots following, especially among younger digital-savvy mobilizers across Bugisu, Busoga, Bukedi, and Sebei.

Efforts to reach Buyela for a comment were unsuccessful, but insiders suggest his new alliance with Kadaga is not simply symbolic—it’s strategic.

With Kadaga eyeing a return to high-level party leadership and Buyela commanding credibility in the digital battlefield, this new alliance may recalibrate the race for Eastern Region’s NRM leadership, putting the AAA camp on the defensive.