The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has on Thursday endorsed Bukedea Woman MP, Anita Among for the Speaker of Parliament.
Among, who has been serving as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament was chosen by the Party’s top organ out of twelve other legislators who expressed interest in the slot.
Among them include; Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi, Minister of State for Defence, Jacob Oboth Oboth, Jackson Atima Lee Buti, Arua Central MP, Tororo Woman MP, Sarah Opendi, and others.
Others are Dokolo South MP, Felix Okot Ogongo, Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo, Kagoma North MP Kintu Brandon, Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of State for Sports, Hamson Obua, Florence Asiimwe, the Masindi Woman MP, John Amos Okot, the Agago North MP and Pius Wakabi, the Bugahya County MP.
Among has served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament for close to one year now since May 24, 2021, under the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. Oulanyah had only presided over parliament business for 9 months and 24 days since his elections .
Her name will now further be discussed in the NRM Parliamentary Caucus scheduled for Thursday at Kololo Independence grounds and possibly a candidate to take up the Deputy Speaker seat.
The Opposition in Parliament is also on Thursday to name its candidate for the Speakership. So far, Bugiri Municipality MP, Asuman Basalirwa and Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende have expressed interest in the position.
Who is Among;
She is a Ugandan accountant, lawyer and politician who serves as the Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament of Uganda (2021–2026). Among also concurrently serves as the elected member of parliament for the Bukedea District Women Constituency, the same position she held in the 10th parliament (2016–2021).
She was in FDC party before she joined the ruling NRM where she was voted as the Deputy speaker of the Parliament.
Among was born in Bukedea District on 23 November 1973. She attended local schools for her elementary and secondary education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, from Makerere University, in 2005. In 2008, she was awarded a Master of Business Administration degree, also by Makerere University.
In 2018, Among graduated from Kampala International University, with a Bachelor of Laws degree. At that time she was in the process of attaining qualification as a Chartered Certified Accountant.
or two parliamentary election cycles in 2007, when Bukedea District was created, and 2011, Among lost the District Woman Representative seat to Rose Akol of the National Resistance Movement political party.
Among, a long-time member of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change political party, ran in 2016 as an independent candidate. She won and is the incumbent MP.[
In 2020, she joined the National Resistance Movement (NRM) after falling out with her party FDC and won the party primaries. In the 2021 general elections, Among was one of the few legislators who was elected unopposed to join the 11th parliament though her victory was contentious because the electoral commission blocked some of her competitors from nomination.
Among declared her bid for the deputy speakership of the 11th parliament of Uganda.
Article 82 (4) of the Constitution provides that no business shall be transacted in Parliament other than an election of Speaker at any time that office is vacant and basing on this, Cabinet on Monday set March 25th as the date for the election of a new speaker of Parliament.
This prompted the ruling NRM party and the Opposition in Parliament to embark on a process to endorse a candidates for the election.
