KAMPALA. The race for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament has taken yet dramatic twist after the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) officially declared that it had withdrew its earlier endorsement of Speaker Ms Anita Among and Deputy Speaker ,Mr Thomas Tayebwa.
In a statement dated May 12, 2026 and signed by PLU Secretary General Daudi Kabanda, the movement said the earlier directive issued on March 11 backing Among and Tayebwa had been “retracted and withdrawn with immediate effect” following guidance from PLU chairman and Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
“That the endorsement of Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among and Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa as candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively for the 12th Parliament of Uganda via a letter dated 11th March, 2026 is retracted and withdrawn with immediate effect,” the statement reads.
The document further states that PLU MPs-elect should instead support candidates who will be presented by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the two top parliamentary positions.
“That the leadership of the Patriotic League of Uganda encourages its Hon. Members Elect to support the candidates that will be presented to them by H.E the President for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.”
The development confirms what many political observers had already suspected after Muhoozi spent much of Sunday posting cryptic and increasingly critical messages on X distancing himself from the earlier endorsement.
“We have another candidate…call him/her the PLU candidate,” Muhoozi posted, triggering speculation that the movement was preparing to abandon Among.
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He later added: “PLU supports whatever position President Museveni takes and we do not listen to NRM’s CEC,” before declaring that “NRM CEC decisions that are against the will of the Chairman are null and void.”
The abrupt reversal marks a major political blow for Among and also leaves Tayebwa’s position uncertain despite previously being seen as one of the safest figures in the race.
For weeks, the duo appeared firmly in control after the NRM Central Executive Committee recommended that they be maintained as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. Their camp had argued continuity was important and pointed to past parliamentary leaders like Rebecca Kadaga and Edward Ssekandi, who served lengthy terms.
But Museveni reopened the contest during the NRM retreat in Kyankwanzi last month when he said the matter would be discussed “at the right time,” a remark that immediately shifted the political mood inside NRM .
The pressure on Ms Among intensified following public outrage over reports that she had acquired an extremely expensive Rolls Royce reportedly worth about Shs3.4 billion and airlifted it from Britain.Ms Among reportedly said the luxury car was a birthday gift, but the controversy sparked sharp criticism online and renewed debate about corruption and extravagance within the August House .
Muhoozi appeared to directly reference the issue in one of his most viral posts: “I have been Mzee’s son for 52 years, but I have never sat in a rolls royce ever. I don’t think Mzee has sat in one either.”
He followed it with another strongly worded statement: “Our job is to SERVE Ugandans not ourselves! I cannot support corruption! I risked my life to make this country peaceful. Now that it is, it will not be taken by thieves. Never!”
NRM insiders now say the contest has effectively been reset, with attention shifting to who Museveni may eventually back and whether PLU could rally behind another candidate entirely.
While Tayebwa still retains considerable support within Parliament, some ruling party insiders believe Defence Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth could emerge as a compromise figure acceptable to both political and security power centres. Others say Norbert Mao ,the minister for constitutional affairs who joined government under the NRM-DP cooperation agreement is the suitable replacement for Ms Among.