The Secretary General of the ruling National Resistance Movement Richard Todwong, has said the party will officially pronounce itself on its preferred candidate for the Speaker of Parliament after a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee scheduled for Friday.
Todwong said the highly anticipated decision will be made during a CEC meeting to be chaired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, amid growing political maneuvering within the ruling party over the country’s top parliamentary leadership positions.
Todwong made the remarks on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of Julius Acire Labeja as the new Mayor of Gulu City, where he had been invited as the chief guest.
He, however, declined to reveal the names of the prospective candidates for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, insisting that the final decision rests with the CEC.
The uncertainty surrounding the ruling party’s preferred candidate follows dramatic developments in the race for Speaker of Parliament after former Speaker Anita Annet Among pulled out of the contest on Monday.
Among’s withdrawal comes amid ongoing investigations by security agencies into allegations of illicit enrichment, probes reportedly initiated on the directive of President Museveni.
Among the prominent candidates in the race for the Speaker of Parliament position is Norbert Mao, the President General of the Democratic Party (DP) and Member of Parliament for Laroo-Pece Division.
Mao has maintained that he remains in the race for Speaker of Parliament ahead of the elections scheduled for May 25, 2026.
