In essence, Mr. Edward Rugumayo was the first head of the legislative arm of the Government of the Republic of Uganda who is of African-Ugandan descent. He is of the Batooro of Small Western Uganda. Aged 45 years, in 1979, he became the Chairman of the National Consultative Council (NCC) – the 3^rd Parliament.  

Mr. Rugumayo, in his capacity as Chairman of the NCC, was the first Speaker that our country had had for a very long eight-year period, 1971 to 1979, when we were without a legislative arm of government. Interestingly, also, unlike all other leaders of the Ugandan legislative arm, Mr. Rugumayo’s academic training is as a botanist.

Prior, to Mr. Rugumayo’s leadership, the first and the second Parliament, referred to as the National Assembly, were led respectively by Mr. John Bowes Griffin, an Englishman, in a one-year period, 1962-1963; and by Mr. Narendra M. Patel (RIP), of Indian descent, in a four-year period 1967-1971.

In 1980, the 4^th Parliament resumed as a National Assembly and at is helm was the youngest Speaker of Parliament we have ever heard, Mr. Francis K. Butagira, a lawyer and of the Banyankole of South-Western Uganda descent, and who, in 1980, when he took office, was 38 years of age. He served for about four years, until July 1985.

The National Assembly was interrupted, once more, in 1986 and in its place the National Resistance Council (NRC) functioned as the legislative arm of government – the 5^th Parliament, with Mr. Yoweri Kagutta Museveni, an Economist, a Political Scientist, and of the Banyankole of South-Western Uganda descent, as NRC Chairman.

In 1986, Mr. Museveni was aged 42 years and he doubled also as the Head of State. In which case, history has it, that it is the Vice Chairman of the NRC, Al-Haji Moses Kigongo, of the Baganda of Central Uganda descent, who chaired most meetings of the NRC.

Photo @ Homeland Media Group