The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus has unanimously elected Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth, Member of Parliament for West Budama Central, and Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, MP for Ruhinda North, as its flag bearers for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament, respectively.
The decision was reached during a caucus meeting after the two candidates were approved by the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Sunday.
Oboth and Tayebwa are expected to face off with candidates from other political parties during the first sitting of the 12th Parliament scheduled for tomorrow at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
President Yoweri Museveni reminded the NRM Parliamentary Caucus that since the inception of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the party has consistently rejected what he described as “bad politics,” urging leaders to prioritise the needs of citizens over personal interests when choosing leaders.
President Museveni emphasized that leadership selection should be guided by the question of what needs to be done for the people before determining who is best suited to do it.
He cautioned against politics based on identity, religion, tribalism, and gender chauvinism, saying such divisions undermine national progress and distract leaders from addressing the real challenges facing citizens.
He reiterated that the NRM’s core mission remains focused on solving people’s problems through wealth creation and socio-economic transformation.
He noted that government efforts continue to prioritise productive engagement in key sectors including agriculture, services, artisanship, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which he described as critical drivers of household incomes and national development.
President Museveni urged members of the caucus to remain committed to issue-based politics that promote unity, economic empowerment, and sustainable transformation for all Ugandans.
The development follows the conclusion of the NRM’s exercise for receiving expressions of interest from Members of Parliament seeking to contest for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker ahead of the leadership elections for the 12th Parliament on Saturday.
Speaking at the close of the exercise on Saturday, the Chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, Tanga Odoi, confirmed that three aspirants had expressed interest in the position of Speaker, while sixteen sought to contest for Deputy Speaker.
Dr. Odoi said the exercise followed a directive issued by the party’s Central Executive Committee during its sitting on May 22, 2026, instructing the Electoral Commission to open nominations for interested NRM legislators.
“The expression of interest started yesterday and today we have concluded the exercise. We now have three candidates for Speaker and sixteen candidates for Deputy Speaker,” he said.
He explained that all aspirants were expected to appear before the Central Executive Committee for vetting on Sunday morning, where the NRM Electoral Commission would present their names alongside summarised curriculum vitae for consideration.
“The people who have expressed interest in the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be vetted by the Central Executive Committee tomorrow. After presentation by the Electoral Commission, CEC will guide on the way forward,” Dr. Odoi explained.
According to him, the final decision rested with the CEC, which would determine whether the ruling party fronts a single consensus candidate for each position or allows all aspirants to proceed to the parliamentary caucus for internal voting.
“If CEC says we take one candidate for Speaker and one for Deputy Speaker, that becomes the party position. If CEC says all candidates proceed to the caucus for election by lining up, that also becomes the position,” he noted.
The NRM Parliamentary Caucus was expected to convene at State House Entebbe on Sunday afternoon to settle on the party’s official flag bearers for the two influential parliamentary offices.
“By tomorrow evening, the NRM flag bearers for Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be known,” Dr. Odoi had stated.
He also expressed confidence that the ruling party would retain both positions when Parliament elects its new leadership, citing the NRM’s numerical strength in the House.
“We are confident we shall win because the numbers do not lie. NRM has 372 Members of Parliament and we urge them to vote as one bloc so that the Speakership remains within NRM,” he said.
