Pressure is mounting on Anita Annet Among to step aside from the race for Speaker of the 12th Parliament as political tensions and internal debates intensify within the ruling National Resistance Movement ahead of the leadership elections.
The growing calls follow weeks of political manoeuvring, public criticism and emerging divisions within the ruling party over who should lead Parliament during the 2026–2031 term.
Recent reports indicate that sections of the NRM leadership are considering alternative candidates amid concerns over corruption allegations, internal party tensions and the political cost associated with the current parliamentary leadership.
According to reports published this week, senior party figures and security insiders have allegedly been pushing for a fresh leadership team in Parliament, with names such as Norbert Mao, Jacob Oboth-Oboth and Lydia Wanyoto increasingly being mentioned as possible alternatives to Among.
The debate intensified after Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly urged Mao to abandon his own Speakership ambitions amid a widening political standoff involving Among and sections of the ruling establishment.
Political analysts say the Speakership contest has exposed rare divisions within the NRM, where parliamentary leadership positions have traditionally been settled internally long before voting takes place in the House.
Despite the mounting pressure, Among has remained publicly defiant in recent weeks, insisting that she was legitimately elected by Members of Parliament and remains qualified to seek another term as Speaker.
“There is no accidental Speaker of Parliament,” Among said in earlier remarks defending her leadership credentials. “The so-called accidental Speaker was voted by 415 Members of Parliament.”
The Speaker has also recently come under increased scrutiny over allegations related to corruption, extravagant spending and internal political disputes, factors analysts say are increasingly shaping the succession debate ahead of the official election of parliamentary leaders.
Meanwhile, reports suggest President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the NRM Central Executive Committee are expected to play a decisive role in determining the party’s official candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The election for the leadership of the 12th Parliament is expected later this month after the swearing-in of newly elected Members of Parliament.