Former Deputy Speaker Anita Among on Friday last week was announced the winner of the Speakership race with 401 votes beating her opponent Asuman Basalirwa in a landslide victory where the latter only scooped 66 votes.
Having spent less than two terms in parliament, The Fatboy Show Presenter Olive Najjuma said that although she feels delighted to see fellow women assume such high positions, it's important to consider whether they are qualified and competent enough to fill them.
“Is she credible for the job? We’ll see; because she is quite new in parliament and has only been there for a term whereas other previous speakers had served in parliament for at least 10 years or more. She holds a law degree, but it seems like she just went back to school to get it because previously she was an accountant, a lecturer and a banker,” Olive contested.
James Onen aka Fatboy, the Co-host of the show, congratulated the women who seem to be taking on the key offices in the country. He called upon Among not to let down her female counterparts since the expectations of the job are now even more demanding.
But away from the gender representation, Olive posited that the Speaker has a bigger role of representing the country and proving her competence, saying that even during the process of fronting the NRM flag bearer for speakership, Among was the novice but acquired the position since she was deputy.
Also judging from her character, Fatboy opined that the new Speaker, unlike her predecessors, seems to have lesser charisma and popularity among parliamentarians. “She seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way and get into all kinds of arguments so, should we expect a lot of confusion in the house?” he asked Olive.
Olive confessed that she predicted confusion more even among the NRM given that there are cadres that had been eyeing the position for a long time and may not be willing to stand the sight of Among who joined the party in 2016, overtaking them.
Anita Among crossed over to NRM from FDC in 2020 after falling out with her party. Before joining NRM, in the 2016 elections she ran as an Independent for the position of Woman MP for Bukedea District, winning and re-assuming the position in 2021 where she was endorsed for Deputy Speaker in the 11th parliament. On March 15, 2022, she was elected the Speaker of Parliament in a by-election replacing the Late Jacob Oulanyah and becoming the second Woman Speaker of Parliament of Uganda.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive and Sarah every weekday from 6am to 10am on RX Radio.
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