Oulanyah rallies support for NRM in Busoga

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah and his deputy Anita Among during a plenary session recently. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA. 

What you need to know:

  • Mr Oulanyah also pledged to stand with MPs from Busoga and to work closely with locals.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has vowed to make Busoga Sub-region his frequent home and win back the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s support.

Mr Oulanyah also pledged to stand with MPs from Busoga and to work closely with locals.

“I am indebted to the people of Kamuli in Busoga for what they have done for me so my coming is to pay a personal debt. Close to my heart, it has nothing to do with anybody else but Jacob Oulanyah and the people of Busoga,” he said.

On January 14, Busoga voted against NRM presidential candidate Museveni yet the sub-region had been  NRM-leaning since 1996.

The narrative changed when the region voted for musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, who was the presidential candidate of the National Unity Platform.

Mr Kyagulanyi got 437,059 votes against Mr Museveni’s 404,862. Mr Museveni won in only three of 11 districts in the sub-region, taking Buyende, Kaliro, and Namutumba.

He was defeated in Kamuli, Luuka, Bugiri, Iganga, Jinja, Bugweri, Namayingo, and Mayuge districts.

Kamuli is also home to Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the Minister of East African Community (EAC) and District Woman Member of Parliament (MP), whom Mr Oulanyah defeated in the  Speakership race  in May.

Mr Oulanyah said he had come to pay respect to former Kamuli Municipality MP, the late Hajjat Rehema Watongola, and preside over victory celebrations of her daughter and successor in the 11th Parliament, Ms Baroda Kayanga Watongola.

He added: “Thanks to the people of Kamuli for making a great choice; keep it up and tell whoever intends to contest next time that there is no vacancy to let you serve this country.”