Anita Among elected deputy Speaker of Parliament

Bukedea Woman MP, Ms Anita Among has been elected Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament with overwhelming majority after beating her two male contenders; Kampala Central  MP Muhammad Nsereko (Independent) and Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi (FDC).

Ms Among who was on Sunday night endorsed by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus as the party candidate for the post got 415 votes while her closet contender, Mr Nsibambi got 35. Mr Nsereko trailed with 24 votes.

She was declared winner by the newly elected Speaker of the House, Jacob Oulanyah who doubles as Omoro County MP. Mr Oulanyah who was deputy Speaker of the 9th and 10th Parliament trounced her former boss, Ms Rebecca Kadaga to become Speaker of the 11th Parliament. 

Ms Among was Monday nominated for the position of Deputy Speaker by Ajuri County MP, Denis Hamson Obua and seconded by Rushenyi county MP, Ms Naome Kabasharira during the first sitting of the 11th Parliament at Kololo Airstrip, Kampala.

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus Sunday endorsed Ms Among as their flag bearer for the position of the Deputy Speaker race in the 11th Parliament.
This is after she scored 168 votes with her closest rival, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the Ruhinda County North MP, coming second with 149 votes.
Ms Robina Rwakoojo, the Member of Parliament for Gomba West County in Gomba District, came in the last position with only 10 votes.
Earlier, the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) had failed to agree on the flag bearer for Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament.

How qualified is Among?
Anita Among, 47, is, an accountant, a lawyer and politician, born in Bukedea District. She possesses a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting), and a Master of Business Administration (Accounting) from Makerere University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Banking from Uganda Martyrs University, and a Bachelor of Laws from Kampala International University.
She joined Parliament in 2016. Ms Among says her experience in both the Opposition and the NRM makes her a suitable candidate for the Office of Deputy Speaker. 

She worked with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and later shifted allegiance to the ruling party and voted for the removal of the presidential age limit in December 2017. 
“I should work as a bridge between the Opposition and NRM… I should be able to promote equal opportunities in terms of allocation of time in the House for anybody to debate in the House and when the person is debating, that is a voice of the so many that are voiceless,” Ms Among said in February after announcing her bid. She deputised Abdu Katuntu in the Cosase probe into Bank of Uganda.