State House Confirms New Date for Election of Speaker

The State House has confirmed the new date for the first sitting of the 11th Parliament where MPs will elect their Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

The Principal Private Secretary to the President, Kenneth Omona on Tuesday, 10th May wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga informing the House that the first sitting of the 11th Parliament will be held on 24th May.

“This is to inform you that His Excellency the President has signed the proclamation for the First Sitting of the Eleventh Parliament of the Republic of Uganda to be held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on the 24th May, 2021 at 10:00am,” Omona’s letter reads. It is from the first sitting of Parliament that MPs will vote the speaker and deputy speaker.

Article 95 of the 1995 Constitution gives the President powers to by proclamation, appoint the place and a date not beyond seven days after the expiry of the term of Parliament or of the extended period, as the case may be, for the first sitting of the new Parliament.

Kadaga today (Tuesday) dissolved the 10th Parliament before the expiry of its term on Wednesday with the swearing in ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni thus ushering in the new government. The MPs-elect will be sworn in from 17th May to 20th May at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

Initially, the election of speaker was scheduled to take place on May 21 before Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda wrote to Kadaga asking her to urgently convene a parliamentary commission meeting to postpone the elections to a later date to allow various political parties caucus with their respective MPs on the choice of the candidates.

The race for speakership is between NRM candidates; Kadaga who is seeking a tough 3rd term and her deputy Jacob Oulanyah who is relying on the overwhelming support from the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC).

Read: PM Rugunda Writes to Kadaga over Speakership Elections