The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Mayuge, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, has called on women leaders in Busoga to support her bid for the position of Second National Vice Chairperson (Female) on the NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Kadaga appealed to a pre-campaign gathering—dubbed a kasiki—at her Hannington Resort in Kyando, Mayuge District, ahead of her official campaign launch set for Wednesday, July 10, at Iganga District Headquarters. The meeting attracted National Resistance Movement (NRM) women leaders from the 12 districts of Busoga, including Namayingo, Mayuge, Iganga, Jinja, and Kamuli. The delegation included district women’s council chairpersons, NRM women’s league leaders, treasurers, and publicity secretaries.
During the meeting, the women tabled several demands, including a request to President Yoweri Museveni to ask Speaker Anita Annet Among to step aside from the same CEC race and allow Kadaga—whom they described as a “big voice” in Busoga and Uganda—to run unopposed. They also requested an audience with the President to personally present their concerns, as well as logistical support such as motorcycles for ease of movement in their communities.
In a bold request, the women further called for the inclusion of local women leaders in the national budget to enable them to receive monthly remuneration for their work. In response, Kadaga promised to document their concerns and present them to the President during an upcoming Cabinet session.
Highlighting her track record, Kadaga cited the construction of the Musita–Mayuge–Namayingo–Busia Road, the elevation of Jinja to city status, and the elevation of Iganga and Bugiri to municipalities. She also referenced her support in the creation of Busoga University, lobbying for UWEP and GROW project funds, and championing girl-child education in Busoga and across Uganda.
Kadaga also used the opportunity to give historical context to the position she is vying for, explaining that the role of Second National Vice Chairperson (Female) was created in 2005 at the request of women party members during a conference at Namboole Stadium. She noted that she was the first to occupy the position, even before her elevation to Speaker of Parliament.
“This position has nothing to do with the Speaker’s office,” she emphasized. At the end of the meeting, the women leaders from Busoga unanimously endorsed Kadaga for the CEC position, pledging their full support ahead of her campaign launch. Kadaga will officially launch her campaign at a public rally today, July 10, 2025, at Iganga District Headquarters.
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