From Certainty to Chaos: Museveni Shakes Among Camp, Mao Re-energized.
By Peterson Hiirya.
Shockwaves have rippled through the camp of Speaker Anita Annet Among after a dramatic twist at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) retreat in Kyankwanzi, where President Yoweri Museveni quashed the party’s earlier endorsement and reopen the race for the leadership of the 12th Parliament.
The unexpected shift follows a renewed push by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao, whose late but calculated intervention has breathed new life into his camp, energizing supporters and unsettling what had appeared to be a settled Race.
For weeks, the NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) position backing Among and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa had been treated as a done deal.
Allies of Among had already begun quietly consolidating support, confident that party tradition and incumbency would carry the day.
But Museveni’s declaration at Kyankwanzi—that the CEC decision is not binding and “the matter is not yet concluded”—has thrown the process into disarray, triggering panic within Team Among and sparking intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
Sources within the retreat describe a tense atmosphere, with Among’s loyalists scrambling to contain fallout and reassert control, while Mao’s camp has seized the moment, aggressively lobbying NRM delegates and positioning him as a viable alternative capable of reshaping parliamentary leadership.
Mao’s Tactics begun with lobbying for an appearance in Kyankwanzi tonspeak to NRM Elected Members of Parliament which came as a shock but easily granted by the Party chairman
Mao’s re-emergence in the race is being interpreted by analysts as more than just ambition—it signals shifting alliances at the highest levels of government where presid Museveni seems to be open to a friendly Opposition MP
His move appears to have forced Museveni into reconsidering the balance of power within the NRM, particularly at a time when internal cohesion is increasingly fragile.
The President’s intervention has once again underscored his decisive grip on party dynamics.
By reopening the contest, Museveni has not only disrupted the momentum of Among’s camp but also exposed deep-seated rivalries that had been temporarily buried under the CEC’s earlier endorsement.
Other contenders, including State Minister for Lands Persis Namuganza, Mbale City Woman MP-elect Lydia Wanyoto, and Aringa South MP Alioni Yorke Odria, are also recalibrating their strategies, sensing an opportunity in the unfolding uncertainty.
What is emerging is an increasingly contentious and high-stakes battle, with factions mobilizing along regional and ideological lines. Insiders suggest the contest has now evolved into a test of loyalty, influence, and political survival within the ruling party.
While Mao’s supporters celebrate renewed momentum, Among’s camp faces the sobering reality that their once-secure path to retention is now under serious threat. The unfolding drama risks deepening divisions within the NRM at a critical political moment.
As the Kyankwanzi retreat continues, all eyes remain on Museveni’s next move. With the president holding the decisive card, the race for speaker and deputy speaker has turned into a volatile political showdown—one that could redefine the internal power structure of Uganda’s ruling
