By Fred Siminyu
NRM District Chairpersons countrywide have rebranded Speaker of parliament Alitwala Kadaga as the “The Woman of Wisdom, Focus and Straightforwardness” and endorsed her for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC).
The district chairpersons from Northern, Western, Central and Eastern Regions of Uganda resolved to rebrand Kadaga already known in the Busoga region as “Mama wa Busoga” and support her for the NRM CEC position at a meeting that she had on July 26, convened at Speke Resort Munyonyo .
“She is a woman of wisdom, focus and straightforwardness; we therefore endorse her for the National Resistance Movement Central Executive Committee,” they echoed in unison.
During the meeting, the Speaker said since the NRM manifesto does not allow any corruption, there is no any agenda by the party to let the corrupt go unquestioned, and she will always ensure that all corrupt individuals are exposed and uprooted.
“I have decided to remain focused on issues affecting Ugandans and that is why I have traversed all over and reached every part of this country. When I went to Obongo ten years ago and found their transport system lacking, I came back and convinced President Museveni to solve the problem,” she said.
She also told the District Chairpersons that she had as well strongly advocated for the rights of women and girl child education in Sebei and Karamoja regions, and fought against female genital mutilation (FGM).
“I play a Historical role in the party so it is prudent to have the opportunity to serve the country and deliberate on many core issues. With my continued membership on the NRM Central Executive Committee, I will lobby for more representation for women positions.,” Kadaga promised.
Kadaga has had a successful political career spanning over three decades with several leadership positions in major international bodies including the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). Under her stewardship as Speaker of Parliament she hosted the International parliamentary Conference in 2019.
Currently serving as the NRM party second National Chair Person (female ), Kadaga is seeking to extend her mandate by another five years through the forthcoming 2021 elections.
But who knew? At a time when she opened Kadaga and Company Advocates in 1984 after a stint as a legal assistant at Obol Ochola Law Chambers little was there if any indication that Kadaga will ever have anything to do with the political life of this country.
However in the wake of times, she started as the Member of Parliament for Kamuli District in 1989 and built up to her current position in the third-highest political office as Uganda’s first female Speaker of Parliament.
When on 19th May 2011 she got a landslide victory of 302 votes to Nandala Mafabi’s 72 it signaled Ugandan Members of parliament readiness to follow her example of putting national interests above party politics.
In April 2012 when Uganda became the first East African country to host the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the world’s largest union of 159 national Parliaments, she called on NRM and non-NRM support in showcasing Uganda’s positive attributes to the visiting delegates.
But the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Activists for Change (A4C) staged a walk-to-work protest during the assembly that was, in her opinion, the 9th Parliament’s contribution to Uganda’s golden jubilee celebrations. Many opined the opposition had taken advantage of her accommodative attitude.
Background
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga was born on 24 May 1956 in Kamuli district.
She attended Namasagali College for her high school education where from she went for law at Makerere University, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB), in 1978.
She later went on to obtain a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center in Kampala in 1979. In 2000, she obtained a Diploma in Women’s Law from the University of Zimbabwe. In 2003, she obtained the degree of Master of Arts (MA), specializing in Women’s Law, also from the University of Zimbabwe In 2019, Nkumba University, a private university in Uganda, awarded Kadaga an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
In the years between 1984 and 1988, Kadaga was in private law practice. From 1989 to 1996, she served as the Member of Parliament for Kamuli District in the District Woman’s Constituency.
She served as the Chairperson of the University Council for Mbarara University, between 1993 and 1996. During 1996, she served as Secretary General of the East African Women Parliamentarians Association.
Kadaga from 1996 to 1998, she the Ugandan Minister of State for Regional Cooperation (Africa and the Middle East). She then served as Minister of State for Communication and Aviation from 1998 to 1999 and as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs from 1999 to 2000.
She was elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament in 2001, a position that she held until 19 May 2011, when she was elected Speaker of Parliament.
Following the February 2016 general election, Kadaga was unanimously re-elected as Speaker of Parliament on 19 May 2016; which post she holds to date.
