New Speaker Among rejects Oulanyah office

Ms Among, the former deputy Speaker, was last Friday elected and sworn-in as Speaker, while Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the former Government Chief Whip, was chosen to succeed her.

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However, highly-placed sources in accounts separately corroborated by Parliament, said the new Speaker chose to retain the deputy Speaker office on the 5th floor of Parliament Building, upending a long tradition of Speakers sitting on the 6th floor.

The allocation of floors, sources familiar with the workings of Parliament, say was intended to reflect its leadership hierarchy and, as such, the Speaker’s office on the 6th floor was customised as to be more spacious and magnificent.

Parliament says
“The deputy Speaker is going to sit on the sixth floor and the Speaker remains in her former office [on 5th floor]. There is no provision in the Administration of Parliament Act where a Speaker should sit,” said Mr Chris Obore, the Parliament’s director for public and corporate affairs.

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He added: “Office space [at] Parliament is allocated by the sergeant-at-arms; it is just space [and] it is still within Parliament. She (Among) has just preferred to remain in her office … She [is] settled in her office. You want her to start moving her things again?”

Ms Among, the Bukedea District Woman MP, was elected a deputy Speaker in May 2021, but ascended to full speakership following the death of the incumbent Jacob Oulanyah, whose body is expected in the country tomorrow.

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President Museveni on March 20 announced that Oulanyah died at the University of Washington Medical Centre in Seattle, Washington, where he was evacuated for specialised medical care.

He is to be accorded a state burial in Omoro on Friday, next week, with a 17-gun salute honour as prescribed by the Constitution.

According to sources in Parliament, Ms Among opted to keep her office on grounds that she is “comfortable in it”, and that relocating to the 6th floor would resurrect her fond memories with Oulanyah whom she publicly proclaimed mentored her.

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Following their May 2021 victories, the duo appeared to have cut an image of great camaraderie, even once chairing a plenary sitting together, before the former Omoro County MP became ill for months until his demise.

Sources also say Ms Among will not inherit the motorcade of her predecessor and the fleet is likely to be passed onto the deputy Speaker Tayebwa.

The reason was not immediately disclosed, although Ms Among as deputy Speaker preferred to ride in her personal vehicles, one of them bullet-proof.

“Parliament has never bought for her the official vehicle because of budgetary constraints and procurement procedures. She has been using her personal car for official work,” Mr Obore said.

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He confirmed reports we earlier received indicating that the staff who were working with Oulanyah, among them head-hunted aides, will go nowhere until their current contracts run out.

It remains unclear if the individuals will work with Ms Among, or with her deputy who is taking charge on the sixth floor.

State of office
The red carpet in the Speakers’ office has been removed and officials said a security sweep had been planned, alongside fumigation, before Mr Tayebwa occupies the office post-Oulanyah burial.
In May last year, Parliament refurbished the Speaker’s office, bought new furniture and replaced the carpet before Oulanyah, who had waited for at least three weeks, occupied it.

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We were unable to establish if similar changes will be made for Mr Tayebwa, who is still operating from his former office of Government Chief Whip. The position remains vacant.