“The NRM has not officially backed anyone,” Wanyoto said, urging party leaders including President Museveni to give her candidacy due consideration.
Heavy Security as Prime Suspect in UCU Dean’s Murder Appears in Mukono Court
Against the backdrop of history at Malukhu Ward, near the late Maumbe’s building where President Yoweri Museveni once survived an assassination attempt during the early 1980s Goliera War, Lydia Wanyoto stepped forward on Friday to stake her claim for one of the highest offices in the country.
Wanyoto, the Mbale City Woman Member of Parliament-elect, declared her intention to run for the speakership of the 12th Parliament, presenting herself as the most qualified among the five contenders eyeing the seat.
“It has been 30 years since someone from Bugisu contested for this position,” Wanyoto told journalists, recalling the late James Wapakhabulo, the country’s first Speaker of Parliament and a son of the region. “It is time for Bugisu to once again take its place at the helm of Parliament.”
She joins the queue which involves the incumbent, Annet Anita Among, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, Bukono County MP in Namutumba district, Persis Namuganza and others.
Wanyoto outlined a career she described as deeply rooted in national and regional service. She has served as a member of the NRM Central Executive Committee, represented Uganda at the East African Legislative Assembly, and worked under presidential deployment in AMISOM. She has also served as a presidential advisor and holds a Doctorate in Law.
She noted that she is awaiting her official gazettement as Mbale City Woman MP-elect, a procedural step that will formally clear her to pursue the speakership. Once completed, she said, she will follow the ruling party’s established procedures.
According to Wanyoto, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) requires interested candidates to apply after elections, after which the party convenes a delegates’ conference at Kyankwanzi to take a formal position. She dismissed media reports suggesting that the party has already endorsed Speaker Anita Annet Among or Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
“The NRM has not officially backed anyone,” Wanyoto said, urging party leaders including President Museveni to give her candidacy due consideration.
Her bid quickly drew local support. Josephine Awuma Wambende, a councillor representing Industrial East Ward in Mbale City, praised Wanyoto’s credentials and called on the President to endorse her. Wambende credited Wanyoto with boosting NRM’s performance in Mbale City to 70 percent in the 2026 general elections — a record high for the city.
Bashilu Manana, Publicity Secretary for Northern Division, rallied Members of Parliament from the Bugisu sub-region to unite behind Wanyoto’s candidacy to secure the speakership for the area.
Kawanga Dawuda, Secretary for NRM Northern Division, echoed the call, pointing to Bugisu’s strong support for the NRM in the recent polls and urging the President to recognize the region’s loyalty.
As the race for Speaker begins to take shape, Wanyoto’s declaration signals what could become a spirited contest — one that blends regional pride, party procedure, and personal credentials in the battle for Parliament’s top seat.