Oulanyah breaks silence on Museveni’s warning against early campaigns

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has distanced himself from claims that he is vying for one of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party top slots.

This follows President Museveni’s caution to party members against engaging in early campaigns, to join the party's top organ; the Central Executive Committee (CEC).

Mr Museveni, who is the party’s national chairperson, said people should not be quick to rush for positions but instead strive to understand the party’s ideology.

“When people heard that I had called for a conference, they started campaigning; when you go for Christmas you don’t go campaigning, you go for prayers,” Mr Museveni said.

“I called you here to help you know our ideology and prescription for the problems affecting our ordinary people,” he added.

Mr Oulanyah and Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Sam Kutesa are some of the members who had so far expressed interest to stand for the positions of national Vice Chairperson northern and central regions respectively.

Both Mr Kutesa and the deputy speaker have circulated posters portraying their bid to take the party’s high positions. Regional vice chairpersons sit on CEC, the party’s most powerful organ whose decisions are only accepted by the other organs.

Mr Museveni reiterated that for as long as party members and leaders don’t appreciate the ideology, all meetings would be a waste of time.

However, when contacted on Sunday, Mr Oulanyah denied circulating posters in a bid to become the NRM vice chairperson for the northern region.

"I have social media handlers, I was not even in the country. I came back yesterday (Saturday) late afternoon. So certainly I was not among the people mentioned," he said.

Efforts to reach Mr Kutesa were futile as he did not answer our text messages or telephone calls.
The party adopted a resolution to scrap voting by secret ballot.

Advice
The President urged members to work hard for the prosperity of the party before thinking of climbing to big positions.

“We shall know them by their fruits; not what they say but by what they do,” he said.
He said members should embrace the biblical teachings so as “to overcome selfishness, love God with all your heart and all your mind.”

“I have never met Jesus, I have held no single meeting with Him but I am a Christian,” Mr Museveni said.