Entebbe, Uganda: The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) has endorsed Anita Annet Among for Speaker of Parliament and Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker ahead of the 12th Parliament.
The endorsement was made during a CEC sitting held on Tuesday at State House, according to party officials familiar with the meeting.
The CEC decision will now be communicated to the NRM parliamentary caucus. Sources noted that the duo was credited with strong mobilisation both in Parliament and on the ground, which helped the NRM consolidate its support ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The decision clears the way for the two lawmakers to be presented as the ruling National Resistance Movement’s official candidates when the 12th Parliament convenes.
“I am all over the moon,” Among said when contacted for comment on Tuesday night.
Rt Hon Among, the current Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, was first elected to the position in 2022, becoming the first woman in Uganda’s history to hold the office.
She succeeded the late Jacob Oulanyah, who died in March 2022 while receiving treatment in Seattle, United States.
Her tenure has been marked by intense legislative activity, including the passage of several key government bills and robust oversight debates that at times divided the House.
Tayebwa, who currently serves as Deputy Speaker and is the Ruhinda North Member of Parliament, has been credited within NRM ranks for steering parliamentary business and managing often-heated plenary sessions.
Party officials said the CEC’s decision was intended to ensure continuity and stability in parliamentary leadership as the ruling party positions itself to drive its legislative agenda in the next term.
Under Uganda’s parliamentary procedure, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by Members of Parliament at the first sitting of a new Parliament, though the NRM’s numerical strength traditionally gives its endorsed candidates a decisive advantage.
By the time the CEC approved the two as its candidates, several other Members of Parliament had expressed interest in the positions, including Iddy Basajjabalaba.
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