Deputy speaker race heats up as Tayebwa targets West Nile to curb Alenyo

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1330 EAT on Tuesday 24 March 2026

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa spent the weekend in West Nile in a move insiders say was aimed at consolidating support ahead of the intensifying race for the next deputy speaker.

Officially, Tayebwa visited Arua City to celebrate the victory of mayor-elect Lawrence Alionzi. Sources, however, say the trip also served as a political outreach to Members of Parliament from the West Nile sub-region.

With 42 MPs, West Nile is seen as a crucial voting bloc in the contest. Among them is Jonam County MP-elect Marshall Alenyo, who is widely regarded as a rising political power and is reportedly eyeing the deputy speaker post.

Marshall Alenyo’s rising influence has unsettled Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa’s camp, setting the stage for a quiet but intensifying contest between the two. The pair met at Lawrence Alionzi’s victory celebration and exchanged pleasantries, but behind the public appearances, both camps are actively canvassing support for the deputy speaker position.

Political mobilisation in West Nile has been gaining momentum, fueled by a perception that the region has been sidelined in national leadership since the death of former Speaker and Attorney General Francis Ayume in 2004.

Lobbyists from the sub-region are backing Alenyo, arguing that his elevation would restore West Nile’s bargaining power. At the event, Tayebwa sought to court local leaders by highlighting government plans to upgrade the Albert Nile bridge in Pakwach to all-weather standards—a move he said would ease the movement of goods and boost trade.

Sources say Tayebwa held a private meeting with Alenyo, though the details remain limited. Insiders indicate that Tayebwa is trying to convince Alenyo to step aside in the current deputy speaker race, with the understanding that he could receive Alenyo’s support in 2031, when Tayebwa is expected to vie for the speakership.

Efforts to get comments from both Tayebwa and Alenyo were unsuccessful. Sources close to the discussions, however, say negotiations are ongoing as the two camps seek an amicable resolution.

-Observer

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