Top sources within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have told Eagle Online that Speaker Anita Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa are not to return to the helm of Parliament as the party prepares for a crucial caucus meeting expected next week.
Highly placed sources say the NRM caucus, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni, is expected to sit on Tuesday to endorse candidates for the next Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions ahead of the new parliamentary term.
Multiple insiders told Eagle Online that the party leadership has already tilted towards a new team amid growing concerns over alleged divisions within the party, corruption claims and internal power struggles linked to the current parliamentary leadership.
According to senior sources familiar with the ongoing consultations, several names are being considered to replace Among and Tayebwa, among them Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Democratic Party President General, Norbert Mao, Defence and Veterans Minister, Jacob Oboth Oboth, and Mbale City Woman Member of Parliament, Lydia Wanyoto.
The caucus will sit and the chairman will unveil the names they are going to endorse for speakership
One senior source revealed that there is overwhelming evidence within security and party circles suggesting the current leadership of Parliament had become politically costly for the ruling party.
The sources further claimed that Among’s recent remarks directed at Mao during the NRM retreat in Kyankwanzi reportedly angered sections of the party leadership. During the retreat, Among allegedly described Mao as an outsider despite his presence at the event reportedly being sanctioned by President Museveni.
Her utterances towards Nobert Mao in Kyankwanzi were uncalled for because Mao was a guest of the party chairman. By saying he was an outsider, she was undermining the chairman’s invitation.
The unfolding developments come amid persistent allegations surrounding the management of Parliament, including claims of irregular financial distributions to staff, procurement controversies and accusations of extravagant spending.
Among has in recent months faced criticism from both opposition figures and sections of the ruling establishment over excessive display of wealth and opulence at a time when many Ugandans continue to struggle economically.
Her acquisition of a luxurious Rolls Royce reportedly valued at over Shs2.2 billion sparked widespread public debate earlier this year. The Speaker has also faced scrutiny over her multi billion mansion in Bukedea District, which has frequently been showcased on social media.
Even Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba appeared to weigh into the debate in recent months through a series of social media posts criticizing what he described as excessive extravagance among some public officials, comments that many political observers interpreted as being directed at Among and her allies.
The reported move to drop Among and Tayebwa also appears to have gained support following recent statements by Daudi Kabanda, the Secretary General of the Patriotic League of Uganda, who publicly defended announcements made by the PLU camp regarding the anticipated changes in parliamentary leadership.
Kabanda, while responding to critics on social media and during political discussions, insisted he had every right to communicate positions from the group because he speaks on behalf of the organisation’s leadership.
“If it were you as a journalist, who brought you here? To do what? To cover what I’m speaking,” Kabanda reportedly said while defending his statements.
He added that as Secretary General, he only communicates what has been agreed upon by those who mandate him to speak on their behalf.
Kabanda’s remarks carried weight because he has previously been viewed as politically close to Among and had in earlier months publicly defended her leadership.
Sources now claim there are growing concerns within influential NRM and security circles that some individuals around the Speaker are allegedly using social media activist and political commentator Jennifer Nakangubi, popularly known as Full Figure Namere, to wage smear campaigns against perceived opponents within the ruling establishment.
Eagle Online has reliably learned that sections of the ruling party leadership have become increasingly uncomfortable with what insiders describe as coordinated online attacks, propaganda and internal mobilization efforts believed to be deepening divisions within the party ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Despite the growing speculation, neither Among nor Tayebwa had publicly responded to the claims by Thursday evening.
The exchange between Norbert Mao and Speaker Anita Among has escalated into one of the most direct political confrontations inside the NRM Speakership race, after Mao rejected remarks made by the Speaker during the ongoing Kyankwanzi leadership retreat.
Mao described Among’s comments as disrespectful and politically inappropriate, arguing that they undermined both party discipline and the authority of the NRM leadership structure.
“This is not just bad politics. It is bad manners,”he said.
He further sharpened his response using a metaphor rooted in hierarchy and authority within a political family, insisting that leadership decisions cannot be challenged in the manner he believes was exhibited.
“Only the head of the family has the final word on who can access which room in the home. He does not need lectures from a recently adopted child,”he stated.
He further added that any insult directed at guests of the party chairman amounted to an insult against the chairman himself, reinforcing his position that internal party respect had been breached.
The remarks by Mao were a direct response to an earlier statement by Among at the NRM leadership retreat in Kyankwanzi, where she emphasized that political cooperation between parties does not automatically translate into sharing key parliamentary leadership positions such as the Speakership.
“We do cooperate with other political parties, but it does not mean that if we are cooperating you come up to my bedroom; you remain in the compound. The bedroom this time round is the Speakership. You cannot cooperate to the tune of Speakership,”she said.
Her remarks have since generated intense debate within NRM circles, with supporters interpreting them as a firm defense of the ruling party’s control over strategic parliamentary positions, while politically exclusionary and overly personalized in tone.
The sharp back-and-forth has further exposed cracks within the ruling party as the race for the Speakership of the 12th Parliament intensifies, with competing camps increasingly adopting open political messaging rather than internal consultations.
What was previously expected to be a structured endorsement process has now taken on a more competitive and confrontational character, reflecting deeper struggles over influence and authority within the party hierarchy.
Speaker Anita Among previously featured in international accountability discussions after public calls in 2023 from sections of civil society organisations and anti-corruption campaigners urging the United States to consider sanctions over alleged corruption-related conduct. The calls were largely driven by allegations linked to misuse of public office, procurement concerns, and financial impropriety, which were raised in both local and international advocacy spaces.
The debate gained traction after U.S.-based rights and governance advocacy groups publicly petitioned for her inclusion under targeted accountability measures applied to foreign officials accused of corruption. These calls circulated widely in media and political commentary, further amplifying scrutiny around her leadership of Parliament.
However, there has been no publicly confirmed formal designation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placing Among on an official sanctions list. Despite this, her name has continued to appear in recurring discussions on governance and accountability involving Ugandan political leadership, keeping the issue active in both domestic and international political discourse.
However, the caucus meeting will become the most consequential internal NRM political session in recent years, aiming to balance power within Parliament and the ruling party itself.
