National Unity Platform [NUP] leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has reportedly decided on who he will appoint Leader of Opposition in the next Parliament.
Having attained the most number of MPs after the ruling party in the next Parliament, Kyagulanyi’s NUP deposed Forum for Democratic Change [FDC] as the leading opposition party – a position they had monopolized since 2006. This means that Bobi Wine will have to make a decision on who will be taking over from FDC’s Betty Aol Achan come May this year.
A number of names have in the last couple of months come up in speculations over who will take up the highly coveted position, with Mukono Municipality’s Betty Nambooze Bakireke, Busiro East’s Medard Lubega Ssegona and Masaka’s Mathias Mpuuga as favorites.
For a party whose majority of the 61 MPs first timers in the Legislative Assembly, the above, having been in the House for the last two terms were tipped deserving of the LOP office by many.
However, the fact that they are all from the Central Region where party leader Robert Kyagulanyi hails, and the only region where they won in the January 14 polls does them no justice. With party haters branding NUP an ethnic Baganda group, appointing a Muganda to the office would make less sense.
Thus, Bobi Wine has zeroed down to only two members on the list of suitors for the position of LOP according to sources within the party. In so doing, he has opted to consider regional balance rather than seniority.
With the party having only two non Buganda legislators in it’s ranks, Manjiya County MP John Baptist Nambetshe and Jinja City Woman MP Manjeri Kyebakutikka as of now remain the only two left for the party to choose from for the post.
Of these two, Kyebakutikka will stand a better chance if Bobi Wine opts to reward Busoga for having voted him against Museveni in the January polls.
As for Nambetshe, the only serving MP to have defected from NRM to NUP, Kyagulanyi will consider him only if he wishes to reward his loyalty and also send a signal to members of the ruling party that they would be well received and rewarded if at all they ever consider crossing.
