ALL OVER: Oulanyah Beats Kadaga to Speaker’s Seat as Anita Among takes the Deputy’s spot by Landslide

Jacob Oulanyah is the Speaker of Uganda’s 11^th Parliament.

In polls held today at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala during the 11^th Parliament’s first sitting, Oulanyah emerged triumphant after garnering 310 votes, flooring outgoing Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who polled 197 while Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda got 15.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker spot has been taken by Bukedea District Woman MP Anita Among who polled an overwhelming majority 415 votes followed by Yusuf Nsibambi with 35 votes while Muhammad Nsereko got 24 votes.

Oulanyah was yesterday picked by ruling National Resistance Movement’s Central Executive Committee as their choice for Speaker over Rebecca Kadaga.

Kadaga immediately declared that she was standing as an Independent citing many attempts to have her ejected from the party leadership but has always risen above the storm.

“I have come to inform the people of Uganda that my party, the NRM has opted not to give me the party flag for position of Speaker of Parliament.  I have therefore decided to contest as Independent,” Kadaga announced yesterday evening.

On the other hand, Among emerged victorious after her contender Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa decided to step aside for her to take the deputy speaker position.

Tayebwa had announced yesterday that he would challenge the NRM party’s preferred candidate for the deputy speaker position as an independent candidate but later had a change of mind.

Tayebwa lost to Among in a vote by the caucus of the NRM yesterday having polled 149 votes to Among’s 168 votes.