Kampala, Uganda – A prominent Ugandan governance expert has called for former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to join opposition forces following her public confrontation with ruling party leadership, signaling deepening fractures within the country’s political establishment.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The controversy emerged from a tense National Executive Council meeting of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chaired by President Yoweri Museveni.
During the meeting, Kadaga, who serves as First Deputy Prime Minister, openly challenged the party’s support for Speaker Anita Among as candidate for First National Vice Chairperson (Female).
In an emotional address, Kadaga accused the leadership of abandoning loyalty and long-term service, noting that Among had only joined the NRM three years ago while party guidelines require a decade of demonstrated contribution.
Among defended her position by asserting that “being new is not a crime,” highlighting her recruitment of over ten opposition MPs from the Forum for Democratic Change and presenting herself as representing fresh ideas for the party.
She also reminded delegates of Kadaga’s own history of defying party directives, referencing her decision to run as an independent in the 2021 speakership race despite the NRM’s endorsement of Jacob Oulanyah.
The heated exchange revealed significant divisions within NRM leadership, ultimately requiring President Museveni’s intervention to restore order.
The president declared that the matter would be settled by party delegates, effectively postponing but not resolving the underlying conflict.
In response to the developments, Dr. Sarah Bireete, Executive Director of the Democratic Governance Facility and a senior lawyer, took to social media platform X to express her views.While acknowledging Kadaga’s substantial contributions to Uganda and the women’s movement, Bireete criticized the political environment that leaders like Kadaga had helped create, suggesting it would ultimately prove self-defeating by excluding even its architects from power.
Bireete expressed particular concern about Kadaga’s treatment during the NRM meeting, stating she felt disturbed by the apparent humiliation of the longtime party loyalist.
She argued that leaders who had allowed Uganda’s democracy to deteriorate to its current state now bore responsibility to collectively address the situation.
Bireete made an emphatic case for political realignment, urging Kadaga to join opposition forces to catalyze meaningful democratic reform and help usher in a new era of accountable governance in Uganda.
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