NRM Buganda Caucus fronts Susan Nakawuki for Deputy Speaker

Kampala, Uganda: The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Caucus from Buganda region has reportedly endorsed Mawokota South Member of Parliament Hon. Susan Nakawuki Nsambu as its preferred candidate for Deputy Speaker of Parliament ahead of the decisive May 25 leadership elections for the 12th Parliament.

The development comes amid deepening uncertainty surrounding the political future of incumbent Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, whose comeback bid slipped away amid sweeping political realignments inside the ruling establishment.

Nakawuki’s endorsement, according to an inside source, was agreed upon during a closed-door Buganda caucus meeting convened in Kampala on Monday by NRM Vice Chairperson for Central Region, Hon. Kyeyune Haruna Kasolo.

The meeting precedes the ruling party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), chaired by President Museveni, which is expected to sit on Thursday to officially determine and endorse the party flag bearers for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

The source privy to the meeting told DailyExpress that Hon Nakawuki defeated competition from several senior female legislators from Buganda, including Bukoto East MP Sarah Babirye Kityo and Gomba District Woman MP Robinah Rwakoojo, to win the hearts of the central region MPs.

“Yes, it is true, Buganda is courting for this position [Deputy Speaker], and Nakawuki is the chosen candidate to sell to the national Chairman,” said the source, adding that her candidacy quickly gained momentum largely because of the emerging consensus around balancing both region and gender in Parliament’s top leadership.

A lawyer by profession and former East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) representative, Nakawuki is now increasingly viewed as the frontrunner for the Deputy Speakership within influential NRM and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) circles.

With outgoing Defence Minister Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth already widely tipped and informally endorsed as the preferred candidate for Speaker, attention has now shifted toward finding a female candidate for Deputy Speaker.

“She comes from Buganda, she is female, she has legislative experience, and she is acceptable within the PLU power structure,” one senior NRM official said.

PLU influence reshaping race

Nakawuki’s growing fortunes also come against the backdrop of recent public remarks by Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Chairman and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Over the weekend, Muhoozi signalled that the next Deputy Speaker would likely be female if ongoing consultations and negotiations receive President Museveni’s approval.

“We shall propose to Mzee a suitable female candidate for Deputy Speaker. That is the tradition. ‘Women hold up half of the sky’ as Mao Zedong said,” Gen Muhoozi posted via X last week.

The statement was widely interpreted as a major political blow to Tayebwa, who had initially appeared likely to retain the position alongside outgoing Speaker Anita Among before the political landscape dramatically shifted amid an ongoing corruption probe into the latter’s lavish and extravagant lifestyle.

PLU, which has increasingly emerged as a powerful mobilization and influence network inside the ruling establishment, recently withdrew its earlier support for Among and Tayebwa.

The movement later aligned itself behind what insiders describe as a broader restructuring of Parliament’s top leadership ahead of the 12th Parliament.

With Oboth-Oboth — a male candidate — now heavily favoured for Speaker, many within the ruling party believe the Deputy Speakership should go to a woman in order to maintain the long-standing gender balancing tradition that has shaped Uganda’s parliamentary leadership over the years.

Historically, Parliament’s top leadership positions have often alternated between male and female leaders.

When Rebecca Kadaga served as Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah was Deputy Speaker. Later, Anita Among served as Deputy Speaker under Oulanyah before eventually succeeding him after his death in 2022.

Now, insiders say the system is once again tilting toward a male Speaker and female Deputy Speaker arrangement.

Buganda’s push for bigger stake

Nakawuki’s endorsement also reflects Buganda region’s growing push for a more prominent role within Parliament’s leadership hierarchy.

Leaders from the region reportedly argued during Monday’s caucus meeting that Buganda has not held a substantive Speakership slot for several parliamentary terms despite remaining one of the NRM’s strongest electoral battlegrounds.

Sources say the region’s strong contribution to President Museveni’s 71.6 per cent victory in the 2026 presidential election was also cited as justification for rewarding Buganda with a top parliamentary office.

“It is being viewed as both political balancing and a vote of confidence in Buganda’s support for the President,” another source noted.

Attention now shifts to the anticipated CEC meeting later this week, where President Museveni and the ruling party’s top organ are expected to formally settle the race and issue official endorsements.

Although the NRM parliamentary caucus traditionally rallies behind CEC-backed candidates, the final vote for Speaker and Deputy Speaker will take place on May 25 during the first sitting of the 12th Parliament, where opposition parties will also be given a chance to present their candidates.