In a statement dated May 12, 2026, and signed by PLU General Secretary David Kabanda, the political pressure group said the endorsement earlier issued on March 11, 2026, had been “retracted and withdrawn with immediate effect.”

The statement followed guidance from PLU chairman Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who had previously directed all PLU-leaning Members of Parliament-elect to support Among for Speaker and Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker.

“Accordingly, the Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has guided as follows: that the endorsement of Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among and Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa as candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively for the 12th Parliament of Uganda is retracted and withdrawn with immediate effect,” the statement read.

PLU further instructed its members to support candidates who will eventually be presented by President Yoweri Museveni for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

“The leadership of the Patriotic League of Uganda encourages its Hon. Members Elect to support the candidates that will be presented to them by H.E the President,” the statement added.

The development marks a significant political setback for Among and Tayebwa, who had been viewed as frontrunners backed by powerful political actors within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

The withdrawal also comes amid growing political pressure surrounding the Speakership race, with several figures within the ruling establishment increasingly calling for new leadership in Parliament ahead of the opening of the 12th Parliament.

In recent months, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has repeatedly issued statements criticizing corruption and what he described as extravagant lifestyles among some senior government officials, remarks widely interpreted as targeting Speaker Among and her allies.

The latest PLU position is expected to intensify lobbying within the ruling party as MPs-elect wait for President Museveni’s official guidance on the Speakership contest.

Several candidates, including State Minister Persis Namuganza, have already publicly expressed interest in the Speaker position while criticizing alleged corruption and financial mismanagement in Parliament.

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Tayebwa was elected during the 64th session of the OACPS Parliamentary.

Assembly and Constitutive Sessions of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assemblies happening in Luanda, Angola, between 17 – 21.

Tayebwa will be representing Mauritius, Seychelles, Djibouti, Comoros, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. 

Key among others, Tayebwa said he will  focus on the implementation of the Samoa Agreement which has replaced the Cotonou Agreement that had been running for over 20 years. 

“We shall be engaging strongly with the European Union coalition’s to deal with climate change, gender parity, energy transition, human rights, Peace and Conflict Resolution, and democracy which are cornerstones of the international framework,” he said. 

Tayebwa promised that he will be a voice of the Global South—focusing on the unfair trade practices including unfair trade restrictions, which are coming from the European Union.

“We shall engage the EU on energy issues and renewable energy. We must be able to exploit our resources without damaging the environment, but also  Africa, which is contributing only 3% of global emissions cannot be the one paying the price and receiving the heaviest penalties, when it comes to energy transition,” he added. 

“We are going to be five members from Africa that are going to be negotiating with the European Parliament on these issues, and I hope that if we can remain focused from a pan Africanist perspective, then we should be able to engage the European Parliament and achieve much more,” he added.

Martin Peters Owino, the Kenyan MP said Tayebwa will ably represent the East African region. 

“I think with him heading the East Africa regional section, we will be much stronger and we want him to bring us together, first of all communicate effectively that we may discuss issues before it comes to the floor when we have the sessions. In that way, we may have articulated very well what is affecting us”.

“One thing that he(Tayebwa) said which I want to repeat here in the assembly, is that this kind of regionalizing African states should not be used to weaken our stand as an African continent.” “We should  turn that kind of strategy into strength. We may start from issues with trade imbalances, issues of democracy, and other issues that affect us. So, I want to say to my friend congratulations and work so hard for the people of East Africa in this regard.”

The OACPA-EU Assembly brings together an equal number of elected MPs from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and Members of the European Parliament. 

Opposition Chief in the Ugandan Parliament, John Baptist Nambeshe said Tayebwa’s election comes with huge opportunities for Uganda and the region. 

“Our region grapples with unique challenges that will require aggressive negotiators like the Rt. Hon Thomas Tayebwa to be on that team to unite Africa because already there are signs of causing rifts for Africa to divide us. So, we are now in three different categories of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific but with the likes of a formidable team, where the Rt. Hon Thomas Tayebwa is going to be part, they will help to unite us.”

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Tayebwa on Tuesday gave his side of the coin in response to a matter raised by Lucy Akello, the Amuru District Woman MP, who questioned the draft policy on contraceptives for young girls.

He warned the architects of the policy, that legalizing birth control for young girls would be equivalent to legitimizing sexual violence in Uganda. “The devil shouldn’t take hold of anyone’s thoughts to approve birth control for teenagers.”

We pray that the devil doesn’t find his way and such thoughts should never come into the minds of our people because it is giving up,” Tayebwa said.

“That is formalizing defilement. That is clearly saying we have failed. We would rather strengthen the monitoring to ensure that we fight this vice but not legitimize it by giving such services and I am glad it isn’t yet a policy.”

In a separate interview, Mr Tayebwa advised the government to shelve the planned birth control policy and explained that; “The future of our country depends upon the wellbeing of present children. We must protect them against any form of violence and contamination. As a God-fearing nation, this is our obligation.”

Akello asked the Ministry of Health to explain if the age of consent in Uganda has been lowered to 15 years from 18 and if the government is no longer scared of HIV and the effects of contraceptives on bodies of the teenagers.

“Where is that plan coming from, have you done a study to find out the implications of the contraceptives on young girls who haven’t given birth? Even I who have given birth fear those things, what of the young girls? Yes, I fear and don’t use them, I use the natural method. Can you assure us that our children are safe with this policy you are coming up with?” Akello demanded answers.

The State Minister for Primary Health, Margaret Muhanga, struggled to explain the genesis of the policy whilst she claimed that the parliament that the media reports attributed to Mr. Charles Olaro, Director Curative Services at the Ministry of Health were quoted out of context and denied allegations that the Policy has been approved.

“We have so many teenage pregnancies, everyone who is sleeping with these girls knows that they are young and is defiling them, they are being married off to 65-year-old men,” she said.

“So, he suggested that should we lower the age of family planning to 15 years and he was asking the audience. He is a medical doctor, and he weighed the options, let the children get pregnant and die while giving birth, or let them take family planning if they can’t avoid it. Because it is in society. It was just a suggestion; it isn’t yet a policy,” Minister Muhanga said.

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