KAMPALA, Uganda
An unexpected moment unfolded during the inaugural sitting of Uganda’s 12th Parliament on Monday when a National Unity Platform (NUP) legislator attempted to nominate a National Resistance Movement (NRM) member for the position of Deputy Speaker, only for the nomination to collapse after failing to secure a seconder.
Hon. Yusuf Kiruluuta Junior Nkerettanyi, the Member of Parliament for Kalungu East, rose on the floor of Parliament to nominate Hon. Godfrey Aine Kaguta, Mawogola North MP, for the office of Deputy Speaker.
According to an official update from Parliament, the nomination did not proceed because it failed to meet a key procedural requirement.
Hon. Yusuf Kiruluuta Junior Nkerettanyi from Kalungu East stands to nominate Hon. Godfrey Aine Kaguta (Mawogola North) for the position of Deputy Speaker. However, his nomination couldn’t stand because there was no seconder.
The incident occurred during the first sitting of the 12th Parliament, held at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where newly sworn-in legislators gathered to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Under Uganda’s Constitution and parliamentary rules, Members of Parliament elect both leaders from among their own ranks. The election of the Deputy Speaker follows the election of the Speaker.
The attempted nomination attracted attention because it involved a member of the opposition NUP nominating a legislator associated with the ruling NRM. However, no Member of Parliament came forward to second the nomination, effectively ending Kaguta’s bid before it could be formally considered.
The requirement for a proposer and seconder is part of the parliamentary nomination process intended to demonstrate minimum support for a candidate before an election proceeds.
Monday’s sitting marked the first major business of the newly constituted Parliament following the swearing-in of 527 legislators last week. The House convened primarily to elect its leadership before embarking on legislative work for the next five years.
The Deputy Speaker’s position is one of the most important offices in Parliament, with the officeholder presiding over sittings in the Speaker’s absence and helping oversee parliamentary business.
Although Kaguta’s nomination did not advance, the episode became one of the notable moments of the day’s proceedings, underscoring the procedural and political dynamics that accompanied the opening of Uganda’s 12th Parliament.
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