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Oulanyah: From a fierce critic to Executive darling
What you need to know:
- UPC spokesperson Okello Lucima and others believe Oulanyah’s is a case of “give a dog a bad name and hang it!”
- Oulanyah also retains his regal bearing with a signature moustache and trademark bow-tie and sometimes collarless socialist garb. He remains a par-excellence debater, formidable orator and authoritative on legislative procedure.
The National Resistance Movement party, Central Executive Committee (CEC) yesterday picked Omoro County Member of Parliament, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, as its flag bearer for the Parliament Speaker race.
Critics have before mocked Oulanyah as good a puppet, but President Museveni has often disagreed; mollycoddling Oulanyah as a loyal cadre.
But just how did a flamboyant Oulanyah with an impressive intelligence, a Johnny-come-lately to the ruling party fold, become a darling of the Executive?
Oulanyah, son of Okori, has since Dr Obote College, Boroboro, days climbed higher and inched closer to the corridors of power. His only misstep five years ago came when he dared challenge his boss, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.
Then, Oulanyah had edged too close to the hot seat; and like wax-winged Greek fairy Icarus, son of Daedalus, Oulanyah’s false wings melted.
He was only saved from a catastrophic fall by clutching onto the open hand of President Museveni. But he is back with a bang, and a backing.
Five years ago, he was a vulnerable man. Oulanyah’s vulnerabilities are also his admirable traits: the burst of energy, arrogant brilliance, and blind loyalty to power. These flaws bring down Oulanyah to a court jester; what the Acholi call rwot ineka – a courtier who lets out a burst of deep loud hearty laughter at every joke the king cracks. But this, surely, is not the old affable, lovable, and proud ‘citizen king’ –Jacob Olanya Okori – of Boroboro.
Until after Boroboro College, the Speaker candidate was called Olanya, which he later changed to Oulanyah.
A spirited and brilliant youth, Oulanyah was nicknamed the ‘Citizen King’. He had a special knack for debating and soon distinguished himself as an enviable orator.
Oulanyah soon became the poster boy for Boroboro squad in the round robin Northern Uganda Debating League. He always opened the floor debate by setting the tone after the first two principal speakers.
It was also common that Oulanyah summed up the floor debate to give it a powerful finish for Boroboro, the same way did his predecessors Justice David Kutosi Wangutusi, then Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Charles Elem Ogwal and Uganda Peoples Congress spokesperson Okello Lucima.
Oulanyah’s reputation preceded him; he narrowly lost the National Union of Students of Uganda president slot to late Jude Otim but gained the position when the latter was ejected.
His fans felt he was chosen by the grace of God and the will of the people and named ‘citizen king’ after the tradition of French king Louis-Philippe. It was unsurprising, therefore, that he likened President Museveni to Jesus.
There were echoes of divination in Oulanyah’s acceptance speech upon re-election as Deputy Speaker exactly five years ago.
Luck did not abandon him. He was in 1990 elected the speaker of Makerere University Student’s Guild. Teaming up with Guild President Norbert Mao, they became the doyen of student Opposition to hardline NRM government’s cut back of student benefits, known then by the moniker boom.
Oulanyah then stared death in the face as he was battered and his spleen raptured by the police as they repressed students’ strike. Two university students, Tom Okema and Tom Onyango, were shot dead.
Oulanyah’s bravado had ushered him into the limelight, reinforced by his return to Makerere for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and later Bar course after his BSC in Agricultural Economics. And before long, Oulanyah found his true love –politics.
Joining Parliament
When then UPDF’s Col Walter Ochora, who died a couple of years ago, defeated him in 1996 for the Gulu District chairperson position, Oulanyah in 2001 contested for Omoro County MP on UPC ticket and won.
Mao was Gulu Municipality MP. The two teamed up and built a reputation of brilliance and flawless articulation in Parliament. One such superior argument on Acholi land rights was to draw the wrath of an army MP, a General, who reportedly attacked Oulanyah in the corridors of Parliament.
Soon whispers were also adrift that Oulanyah was in bed with NRM, which often poached gifted opponents. After repeated denial, Mr Oulanyah fell for the allure and openly began hobnobbing with NRM ideologues.
Now the man from Omoro is an unapologetic NRM cadre, with a sticky job to execute ill-chosen tasks for NRM. Put another way, he is the President’s fall guy. For this, his admirers and critics alike label him a confusing agent – lanywen.
Lanywen was his proposed magic formula to root out corruption in Gulu as he wrestled for the district council chair in 1996. But today, lanywen perfectly describes Oulanyah’s frequent swing around.
He has acknowledged publicly doing the dirty political work for NRM such as engineering, while chair of the 7th Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, the removal of the presidential term limit.
That decision, aided with Shs5m offer to MPs, opened the way for Museveni to stand as many times for President - something opponents blame for Uganda’s current woes.
Still, Oulanyah remains proud and unapologetic. He has had no brakes in presiding over enactment of more impugned laws, the other being the Public Order Management Act, 2013.
His public praise of the President, whom he likens to a saviour, too has gained more currency.
But Oulanyah delights in such eccentrics and for good measure. The First Family graced his 2013 wedding, which, unfortunately, was dissolved in court.
Mr Museveni has called Oulanyah a nationalist, visionary and one of few “progressive” Acholi leaders.
Strangely, lawmakers from his Acholi and Lango used to sideline Oulanyah.
He belongs to both communities yet has no foothold in either. As a consequence, former Agago County parliamentary candidate Charles Komakech believed the polarity of identity and opportunism are Oulanyah’s mortal weakness.
This dual identity has been exploited by the latter’s rivals, including former Gulu chairperson Ochora and former Aruu County MP Odonga Otto.
Only UPC party politician Olara Otunnu and his DP opposite Mao and a few Opposition MPs from Acholi and his sub-region graced his wedding.
Fewer-than-expected legislators from Acholi and Lango backed Oulanyah’s re-election bid in 2016. Most felt nervous Oulanyah’s blind loyalty to NRM would expose northern Uganda to ridicule.
Sensing trouble, Oulanyah made a last-minute peace with some Acholi and Lango MPs. In the dead of the night before MPs swore-in, he capitulated to counsel by Opposition Chief Whip and Dokolo Woman MP, Ms Cecelia Ogwal, not to disturb Ms Kadaga for the Speaker job.
At the then Lango community MPs swearing-in party, Oulanyah made a well-received pitch for his suitability as Deputy Speaker. Little wonder, on D-day, Oulanyah roped in UPC’s and Oyam South MP Betty Amongi to second his nomination.
Despite his apparent exclusion, Oulanyah stands tall as his own man. He hasn’t lost his intellectual sparks and poise. Such is the measure of the man that even when badmouthed as ambitious, greedy, undependable, and easily bendable by rivals; he some-what-keeps clean of dirty politicking - at least publicly.
Oulanyah also retains his regal bearing with a signature moustache and trademark bow-tie and sometimes collarless socialist garb. He remains a par-excellence debater, formidable orator and authoritative on legislative procedure.
What then explains Oulanyah’s blind loyalty to the power?
His trading of honour for realpolitik offers one possible explanation. Oulanyah, some commentators say, has chosen to wrestle his conscience to win a superior ground.
2006 downfall
Omoro County voters punished his swing from UPC to NRM in 2006 by picking FDC’s Simon Toolit. Come 2011, and 2016, Oulanyah was in and out of the High Court to fend off charges of vote-fiddling.
Political pundits and many Ugandan have the same pinhole view of him. They see him as a diligent executioner of unpleasant NRM works and other Museveni assignments. But some critics won’t judge Oulanyah that harshly.
UPC spokesperson Okello Lucima and others believe Oulanyah’s is a case of “give a dog a bad name and hang it!” They disagree Oulanyah deserves the adverse criticisms. To the contrary, they blame the NRM majority in Parliament and President Museveni iron hold on the NRM Caucus.
To them, whoever is at the helm, be it Oulanyah or Kadaga; the stewardship of Parliament would suffer.