My critics don’t understand multiparty politics – Kadaga

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.

What you need to know:

  • As the Speaker, my job demands fairness and neutrality in dealing with leaders, regardless of their political party inclinations. Above all, these MPs are duly elected and mandated by their people to represent them and be their voices. So I am not only fulfilling my duty as Speaker, but also giving the people who voted them chance to be heard.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga recently defeated State minister for Lands Persis Namuganza in a hotly contested race for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party second national vice chairperson (female). Ms Kadaga on Friday spoke out about the elections in an interview with Busoga One radio. Sam Caleb Opio got the highlights.

You have just come out of the ruling NRM party Central Executive Committee elections. Was it close to anything you had anticipated?

Despite being expensive, the scientific campaigns were rewarding and strengthening and brought stronger bondage between the people and leaders.
While the Namboole conferences are cheap, they don’t bring people together. Our rural delegates are intimidated, cheated and stigmatised and even end up losing the little facilitation they get, but this time they were in a familiar environment, spoke freely and had close interaction.

We interacted with the people physically, got closer consultation and deeper understanding of the party concerns and issues in different regions that will be incorporated in the party manifesto.
The campaigns made the candidates transverse the country, so they were a blessing in disguise and gave us unsolicited feedback.

You were accused by your opponents of betraying the party and leaning more towards the Opposition in Parliament…

Our mission in Parliament is to achieve improved accountability, representation, democracy and good governance for sustainable development in Uganda. We need confidence of the people from whom we derive our mandate.

As the Speaker, my job demands fairness and neutrality in dealing with leaders, regardless of their political party inclinations. Above all, these MPs are duly elected and mandated by their people to represent them and be their voices. So I am not only fulfilling my duty as Speaker, but also giving the people who voted them chance to be heard.

There are people who don’t understand multiparty politics, meaning there are many parties in Parliament -- NRM, JEEMA, FDC, UPC, DP, Independents -- and under the Commonwealth, one has to be balanced in representation.

Busoga sugarcane farmers are crying foul. They say politicians have hijacked their business and they are getting frustrated with low prices. How should they be helped?

With a lot of sugarcane not bought, there is need for distilleries so that sugarcane can be made use of, not only to produce crystal sugar but other marketable products.

We are encouraging and supporting the formation of the greater Busoga Sugarcane Growers Cooperative Union to tap on government support to procure high class equipment that have high juice recovery, above 80 per cent, so that farmers have ready market and better price like the Sri Lanka sugarcane model.

Through the cooperative union, sugarcane farmers will be able to make spirits, ethanol, sanitisers and better local gin called waragi after securing a guarantee of comfort from government.

All these plans are hampered by government bureaucracy, the reason Busoga feels I should be right at the policy table to pressure and follow up.

I want to acknowledge and thank Mama Amina of Atiak Sugar for accepting to buy our sugarcane and taking our Busoga sugarcane growing expatriates, hence giving them jobs.