Museveni Clears Oboth-Oboth, Tayebwa; Tells MPs To Put People First, Not Politics

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Sunday evening formally threw his weight behind Jacob Oboth-Oboth for Speaker and Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker after meeting the first National Resistance Movement Parliamentary Caucus of the 12th Parliament at State House Entebbe.

In a powerful show of party unity ahead of Monday’s decisive parliamentary vote, Museveni welcomed the caucus endorsement of the two candidates and congratulated them on securing the backing of the ruling party. The meeting effectively cements Oboth-Oboth as the NRM’s official flag bearer for Speaker following the dramatic withdrawal of Anita Among from the race.

Museveni used the gathering to send a blunt political message to MPs, warning against what he called “bad politics” rooted in identity, religion, tribe and gender chauvinism. He reminded the caucus that since the NRM came to power, the movement has rejected politics of division and instead focused on solving the real problems facing ordinary Ugandans.

“When choosing leaders, we must first ask what needs to be done for the people before asking who should do it,” Museveni told MPs, urging them to stay focused on wealth creation and social-economic transformation.

The President said Uganda’s political priority remains lifting households out of poverty through productive engagement in agriculture, services, artisanship and ICT — not internal political battles.

The State House meeting comes at the climax of an intense weekend of behind-the-scenes lobbying inside the ruling party, with MPs scrambling for alignment ahead of the leadership vote in Parliament.

With Museveni now publicly backing Oboth-Oboth and Tayebwa, attention turns to Monday’s floor vote where the duo head in with the full weight of the NRM machinery behind them.