West Budama County South MP and Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, is being fronted for the position of Speaker of Parliament in the 12th Parliament.
Oboth-Oboth, who has served as defence minister since 2021, has played a key role in shaping defence-related legislation, including tabling the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, which was later passed into law.
The law introduced reforms aimed at improving healthcare services for military personnel, transferring the Pension Authority from the Ministry of Public Service to the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, and enhancing disability compensation for both officers and enlisted personnel.
Previously, as chairperson of Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Oboth-Oboth was instrumental in handling key legislation, including the 2017 constitutional amendment that removed the presidential age limits.
The amendment scrapped both the upper age limit of 75 years and the lower limit of 35 years, effectively allowing President Yoweri Museveni to contest in subsequent elections.
The election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker is the first business of a new Parliament after Members of Parliament take the oath of office following gazettement by the Electoral Commission.
Under Article 82 of the 1995 Constitution, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by Members of Parliament from among themselves.
Sources within Parliament indicate that a proposal is being discussed within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) to have Oboth-Oboth contest for the Speaker’s position.
