On Friday March 25, 2022, the House sitting at Kololo ceremonial grounds elected Thomas Tayebwa as the Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s 11th Parliament, taking over from Among Anita Annet who moved up to be Speaker, all events following the death of Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.
Tayebwa, a Member of Parliament for Ruhinda North County in Mitooma District managed to garner a total of 379 votes against FDC’s Okot Bitek Junior, the Kyoga MP in Amolatar District who only scored 82 votes.
Tayebwa, a Ugandan lawyer and politician was born on 10th November, 1980 to Bangirana Daudi and Betty Komuhangi of Bitereko Village, in present day Mitooma District.
He attended Kigarama Primary School, Kigarama Senior Secondary School and Ruyonza School for UACE in 2000. In 2005, he received a BA in Social Sciences at Makerere University, and in 2012 he received a Bachelor of Law degree from the same university.
He holds a Bachelors of Laws (Hons) Degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (Hons), both from Makerere University. He is currently a Fellow of MBA at Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI). He also holds a Certificate in Negotiation of Harvard Law School and a Professional Certificate in Parliamentary Affairs from International Centre for Parliamentary Studies, London.
In October 2015, Tayebwa joined elective politics on the NRM ticket, winning both the party’s primaries with 15092 votes.
He was among a handful Members of Parliament who went through the 2016 parliamentary elections unopposed.
In the House, he serves on the Natural Resources, and National Economy Committees of Parliament. He also served on the eight member select committee to investigate mismanagement of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL). He was re-elected resoundingly back to Parliament, in January, 2021.
In 2021, Tayebwa was appointed as the Government Chief Whip by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a position he resigned on March 24, 2022 to run for Deputy Speaker.
Ugandan enterprises urged to explore regional oil and gas opportunitiesTayebwa is also an entrepreneur with interests in communications and media, culture and heritage, transport and cosmetics. He is also a renowned philanthropist who has supported several community projects across the county, and continues to support several children from vulnerable backgrounds to attain education, medical care etc. He has also supported several youth start-ups with capital and as a business mentor.
Tayebwa serves as the director of Cholmat Investments.
On February 14, 2009, Tayebwa married Anita Rukundo at St Augustine Chapel in Makerere and the couple is blessed with one biological son, Timothy Rubandamayonza on top of over 74 children under his care. He is a Rotarian and well-known philanthropist.
Ruhinda North Constituency
Ruhinda North County is one of the two major counties found in Mitooma District, western Uganda, and part of Ankole sub-region. It was previously the only county in Mitooma District until it was curved into two counties: Ruhinda North and Ruhinda South.
Mitooma District itself is a young district having been curved out of Bushenyi District by an Act of Parliament in 2010. Mitooma District is bordered by Bushenyi District to the north, Sheema District to the east, Ntungama District to the south, and Rukungiri District to the west.
The population of Mitooma District is 196,300 according to the 2014 National Population and Housing Census.
