Politics 16 July 2026 Parliament of Uganda
Speaker Oboth Urges Expertise-Based Committee Assignments
Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth has instructed party whips to re-evaluate parliamentary committee assignments, emphasizing the crucial need for Members of Parliament (MPs) to be placed in committees aligning with their professional expertise to enhance legislative effectiveness. Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/4499/stick-expertise-committee-designations-speaker-oboth
Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth has called for a strategic review of how Members of Parliament are appointed to various committees. During a plenary session on Thursday, July 16, 2026, the Speaker stressed that assigning MPs based on their specialized knowledge and professional competencies is essential for robust lawmaking, effective oversight, and meaningful representation.
“Try to align your Members according to their professional competences. If there is an agriculturalist, you do not take that agriculturalist where he would not add value. Committees give Members the opportunity to serve this country better by bringing the best out of them,” Oboth stated, highlighting the potential loss of valuable contribution when expertise is overlooked.
The Speaker noted that despite recent approvals of committee compositions based on party whip designations, some MPs with specific skills have been placed in unrelated committees. He pointed out instances where individuals with strong financial backgrounds were not considered for the influential Budget Committee, despite their evident suitability.
“There are some three Members that I know who are supposed to be in the Budget Committee. Given their expertise, they were not even put near the Budget Committee,” he revealed. Speaker Oboth urged the whips to rectify these misplacements promptly, stating, “We are just beginning, but we cannot have excuses for the next six months when we have the right members in the wrong committees.”
Hon. Solomon Silwany (NRM, Bukooli County Central) echoed the Speaker’s sentiment, suggesting that the Parliament’s records office should provide party whips with MPs’ curriculum vitae. This, he believes, would facilitate more informed decisions during committee appointments, as whips may not always be aware of every member’s specific professional background.
Parliament currently operates with 16 sectoral and 15 standing committees, each requiring a diverse range of expertise to function optimally.
Source: Parliament of Uganda