Who Killed Jacob Oulanyah? Mao Attacks Speaker Anita Among After Officially Declaring Running For Speakership

The President General of the Democratic Party and Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, has stirred political debate after declaring that the passing of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah plunged Uganda into what he described as an “accidental Speaker of Parliament.”

Mao, who is the MP-elect for Laroo Pece Division in Gulu City, made the remarks at the DP headquarters in Kampala shortly after announcing his intention to contest for the Speakership. He framed the forthcoming race as a turning point not just for legislators, but for the institution of Parliament itself.

“Unfortunately, we lost the late Jacob Oulanyah. So we got an accidental Speaker. Yes, because nobody plans for death. It was not supposed to be that way, but now there’s an opportunity,” Mao said.

His comments have been widely interpreted as a direct jab at the current Speaker, Anita Among. Among was recently seen with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at his Kisozi farm, reportedly seeking endorsement from what Mao’s supporters often call the “old man with the hat.” Political observers suggest that those efforts did not yield the decisive backing she may have hoped for, adding further intrigue to an already heated contest.

Mao explained that his decision to join the race was not impulsive but was driven by what he described as overwhelming encouragement from citizens across the country.

“The prospect of Norbert Mao becoming Speaker of Parliament has energized the whole country, and the whole country believes that we are getting a safety net in these five years that are critical, of having a hand that can be trusted, with a record of working with all sorts of people,” he said.

Positioning himself as a unifying figure, Mao argued that the next five years would be decisive for Uganda’s governance, and that Parliament requires steady, experienced leadership capable of navigating political divisions. He portrayed himself as that steady hand — someone with a history of engaging across party lines.

On a more emotional note, Mao invoked his longstanding friendship with Oulanyah, suggesting that his candidacy was also a matter of personal conscience.

“At a very personal level, I wonder what my friend Jacob Oulanyah would tell me if I met him on the other side of life, and he says, ‘Mao, I left you behind. You have seen what is happening, and you did nothing?’” he said, drawing laughter from supporters.

Oulanyah, who served as Speaker of the 11th Parliament, passed away in March 2022 while receiving medical treatment in the United States. The government announced that he succumbed to illness. However, his father later publicly alleged that the former Speaker had confided in him that he was poisoned — claims that ignited widespread public debate and speculation at the time. Mao has previously alluded to those assertions when reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his friend’s untimely death.

Mao’s entry into the race sets the stage for a high-stakes showdown with the incumbent Speaker, Anita Among, whose tenure has faced criticism from certain quarters of the political establishment. During the previous term, tensions escalated within Parliament after President Museveni accused Members of Parliament of engaging in corruption. Attempts to debate the matter on the floor triggered sharp exchanges, exposing deep divisions within the House.

Meanwhile, the contest is expanding. Alion Yorke Odria, the Aringa South MP, has also thrown his hat into the ring. He dismissed reports that the ruling party’s Central Executive Committee had already cleared Among and her deputy to run unopposed.

Addressing journalists in Kampala, Odria rejected what he described as speculation about “ringfencing” candidates.

“We as members of parliament, especially from the NRM party, we must know that our party may have its constitution, but there is rumour moving around that some candidates yet to be nominated have been endorsed by the NRM party. They have been ringfenced by the CEC. That is a big rumour,” Odria said.

He went further, positioning himself as a defender of constitutionalism and warning against manipulation of party processes.

“I must tell Ugandans, I must tell Africa and the world that the law is not going to be taken and be played with by a few individuals in the NRM party. I raise this as the constitution as one of the tools, the biggest tool that I’m going to use to execute my duties.”

Odria also called upon President Museveni, who chairs the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), to clarify his position and address the swirling claims of favoritism.

“Any decision taken without our consent shall be null and void. Therefore, we are sending a message to the chairman, the President, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to come out clearly and confirm what is meant by endorsing, ringfencing some few candidates and leaving out others who are the pillars of this party. We are the pillars,” Odria said.

The race for Speaker is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched political contests in recent years. Other contenders include State Minister Persis Namuganza and incoming Mbale City Woman Representative Lydia Wanyoto.

As declarations multiply and political maneuvering intensifies, the battle for the Speaker’s chair is increasingly being cast not merely as a contest of personalities, but as a referendum on the direction, independence, and credibility of Uganda’s Parliament in the years ahead.