If Ugandan politics were a theatre, then the drama currently unfolding inside the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) would be a sold-out show, part Shakespearean tragedy, part soap opera, and wholly political power play.
In one corner of the ring stands Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda’s seasoned political heavyweight, First Deputy Prime Minister, former Speaker of Parliament, and self-declared long-suffering loyalist of the NRM.
In the other corner? None other than Anita Annet Among, the current Speaker of Parliament, political meteor, and rising star who’s eyeing the same seat Kadaga currently holds: NRM’s Second National Vice Chairperson for Women.
What was once a quiet undercurrent of rivalry has now burst into a full-blown political brawl, spilling from backrooms into boardrooms, rallies, and straight onto the marble floors of State House Entebbe.
The president, Yoweri Museveni, who doubles as party chairman (and full-time crisis manager), has tried to broker peace, but as it turns out, not even the Commander-in-Chief can referee a fight this personal.
It is a bloody war of ego, pride, and vengeance.
Museveni’s offer: Two chairs, one crown
Museveni’s proposal was simple (at least on paper): both women should join the Central Executive Committee (CEC), but one should step aside from the contested seat. It was a delicate offer, laced with diplomacy and a faint scent of desperation.
But neither Kadaga nor Among flinched. If Museveni had hoped to play peacemaker, he must have felt like a father asking his children to share a toy, only to have them both declare, “It’s mine or nothing.”
What a tricky situation for any parent?
Kadaga, speaking with the fire of a woman scorned by both fate and party, didn’t hold back. “I was humiliated in this country,” she said, revisiting the political heartbreak of 2021 when she was unceremoniously ousted as Speaker.
“I took it in good stride… but I am being followed. How much more can you press an individual?”, the room reportedly went silent. (Well, as silent as a room full of politicians can be).
Kadaga’s case: Loyalty, legacy, and a hint of warning
Kadaga wasn’t there to beg, she was there to remind everyone that before Among could spell “NRM,” she had already bled for it.
“I’ve served this party since 1989. Never been in the opposition. I’ve led campaigns, marketed Uganda globally, supported referendums, passed budgets to support our manifestos,” she rattled off, voice rising with each achievement.
She went on to decry what she called the party’s “pattern of throwing out loyal cadres” to make room for shiny new recruits.
In case anyone missed the subtext, she made it plain: “That’s why you protected Al-Hajj Moses Kigongo because of seniority. But now you say, ‘Rebecca Kadaga, get out.’ Really?”
How many dare to boldly confront the five-star ‘Sabarwanyi’? What does that say about Kadaga?”
Literally this means “What’s good for the goose (Kigongo) should be good for the gander (Kadaga)”.
Kadaga further warned that the implications of this showdown weren’t just personal. “You’re not just fighting Kadaga,” she told Museveni and the room, “you’re fighting a community — Busoga.”
Among the newcomer
“Yes I am a new comer. Being new is not a crime,” Among said, sounding as bold as any ambitious young woman who’s got her GPS set straight and refuses to hit any detours. She wasn’t about to let anything throw her off course. The rest? Well, that’s your mess to clean up.
If Kadaga is the political matriarch, think seasoned queen bee; then Among is the ambitious newcomer with the energy of a start-up founder on espresso and the confidence of someone who knows she’s got the boss’s ear and the delegates eating out of her hand.
Every word Among dropped was met with ululations, clapping, and chanting from the NEC members like she was headlining a rock concert.
Meanwhile, her rival, Mama Kadaga, got booed, yes, booed, by a few indisciplined delegates. Did I say indisciplined? Oooh no, scratch that… I guess its just politics doing its thing.
Seriously, politics is a dirty game, definitely not for the faint-hearted or anyone with a delicate constitution!
Some senior party members just stared, watching their own matriarch Kadaga getting schooled in real-time by this sharp, strategic energetic young gun from Bukedea, in Teso. You could almost hear the mental “Ouch” echoing in the room.
Bambi, if the signs are anything to go by, the worst is definitely yet to come. Plenty say Kadaga would swallow her pride and bury the hatchet with Among.
But from where I stood, I’m hoping Kadaga rethinks the president’s offer and decides to walk away with a smile, because everyone loves a comeback story, and peace of mind especially in our advancing age, right?
“I bring fresh ideas, and results. I’ve even convinced opposition 10 MPs to join NRM and here they are. Now that’s real leadership,” she bragged with facts, driving a big, metaphorical nail straight into Kadaga’s foot. Ouch! She sparked laughter from some as others nodded their heads.
Among made it clear, she’s running, and she’s not stepping aside for Kadaga, not even a woman who’s been in the game since she was in primary school.
Museveni: the President, the umpire, the Diplomat
President Museveni tried to keep the ship steady. He praised Kadaga’s loyalty and decades of service, acknowledging that she’s been with the party for all the years.
But in classic Museveni style, he reminded her that no one is above competition, not even family. “You saw me beg my own brother, Nzeire, to withdraw from a race,” he said, almost as if to say, “If I can’t control my own blood, what makes you think I’ll block Among?”
Still, Museveni didn’t mask his disapproval of Kadaga’s use of regional identity as a weapon. “It was the NRA that liberated Busoga, not individual politicians,” he said sharply.
Now, unless a miracle happens in the next few days, this saga is headed straight to the ultimate courtroom, the party’s national conference, where the judges (delegates) will make the final ruling.
It’s a high-stakes showdown: Do they reward Kadaga’s years of loyalty or jump on the fast-moving train of Among’s rising momentum?
You can place your bets, because this political drama is far from over.
Kadaga insists she won’t take any consolation prize or presidential appointment. “This is my position until I am voted out,” she said, planting her political flag in the ground like a tough war general.
Among, meanwhile, is doubling down on her campaign, smiling, waving, and reminding people that the future is female, and perhaps, a little younger.
Who blinks first?
In the end, this isn’t just about a seat on the CEC. It’s about legacy, power, generational change, and maybe even a little revenge.
Kadaga wants to protect her turf; Among wants to claim new territory. And Museveni? He just wants his party to survive the storm without a full-blown internal “civil war”.
As of now, neither woman has reached for the white flag. And until they do, all eyes remain on the yellow party’s biggest battle yet, a tale of two women, one chair, and a whole lot of political fireworks.
