The West Budama Central Member of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, has been elected Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament after defeating Jinja East MP Paul Mwiru and Laroo-Pece Division MP Norbert Mao in a competitive election held at the Kololo Independence Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala.
Oboth-Oboth secured a landslide victory with 441 votes, while Mwiru garnered 60 votes and Mao received 15 votes.
The election was presided over by the Chief Justice of Uganda, Dr. Flavian Zeija, who officially confirmed the results and declared Oboth-Oboth Speaker-Elect of the 12th Parliament.
Following his election, Speaker-Elect Oboth-Oboth took the oath of office before President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. He was subsequently handed the instruments of power, including the mace, national flag, Constitution, Rules of Procedure of Parliament, and the Speaker’s robes.
Oboth-Oboth succeeds former Speaker, Anita Annet Among, who is currently under investigation over corruption allegations.
In his acceptance speech, Speaker Oboth-Oboth pledged to lead a corruption-free Parliament, emphasizing that the office of Speaker is a platform for service rather than personal power.
“The Speaker’s Chair is not a throne; it is a servant’s post. My role now is to ensure that, working together, the voices of the over 48 million Ugandans who sent us here are heard, protected and respected. We are aware of what the country has been going through, and I pledge a corruption-free Parliament. Under my leadership, we will cultivate a culture of absolute integrity and zero tolerance to corruption,” Oboth said.
He further stressed the need for accountability within Parliament, noting that leaders must first demonstrate responsibility before demanding it from other government institutions.
“Accountability begins with us. In the next five years, we will hold the Executive and other government bodies accountable, but we must start with ourselves. Charity begins at home. We cannot demand accountability for government resources from other agencies while failing to uphold it ourselves,” he added.
The new Speaker also pledged to improve the quality of parliamentary debate by encouraging research-based discussions backed by facts and evidence.
“Under my leadership, Parliament will not be a theatre for hearsay or grandstanding. Our debates must be grounded in hard facts, data and sound research. We must be fair and objective as we execute our oversight role,” he noted.
Oboth-Oboth further promised to champion a people-centred Parliament, saying every bill, motion, and decision should directly address the needs of ordinary Ugandans. He also vowed to promote a results-oriented national budgeting process focused on service delivery.
“Budgeting will no longer be an exercise in financial engineering and distortion. It will be a service-oriented, results-driven endeavour aimed at improving the lives of our people,” he said.
