KAMPALA — Newly elected Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has pledged to lead a corruption-free Parliament, promising a new era of accountability, transparency, and results-driven leadership in Uganda’s 12th Parliament.
Oboth made the commitment shortly after taking oath as Speaker at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds following his landslide victory in the Speakership race presided over by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija.
The Speaker, who contested on the ruling National Resistance Movement ticket, secured 441 votes, defeating Paul Mwiru who garnered 60 votes and Norbert Mao who polled 15 votes.
Addressing Parliament moments after receiving instruments of power from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Oboth said Parliament must restore public trust by placing integrity and accountability at the centre of its work.
“We are aware of the challenges that may be before us. I pledge a corruption-free Parliament. Under my leadership, we will cultivate a culture of integrity and accountability,” Oboth declared.
The Speaker said accountability must begin with Members of Parliament themselves before they demand accountability from the Executive and other public institutions.
“Accountability begins with us. In the next five years, we shall hold the Executive and other government bodies accountable, but we must first begin with ourselves. Parliament must lead by example,” he said.
Oboth also vowed to reform the budgeting and appropriation process, saying Parliament’s work must directly improve the lives of ordinary Ugandans.
“Every Bill, motion, and decision must directly respond to the needs of the ordinary citizen. Results must guide our work,” he said.
“Budgeting and appropriation will no longer be an exercise in financial engineering and distortion, but a results-driven endeavour to deliver services to our people.”
The Speaker further promised to strengthen Parliament’s oversight role by empowering committees to act before public resources are lost.
“Oversight should not be a post-mortem. We must not wait for public funds to be lost; our committees should be empowered to act in real time to protect public resources,” he said.
Oboth also called for greater openness in Parliament, saying the media plays a critical role in ensuring transparency and public trust.
“We must recognise that the media is not our enemy, but the public’s eye. A transparent and open Parliament strengthens trust between the House and the people,” he noted.
In an emotional speech, Oboth reflected on his journey from Muwafu village in Tororo District to the Speaker’s chair, attributing his rise to faith, patience, and divine grace.
“From a rural village in Muwafu, Tororo District, I struggled to attain better education, and today I stand before you as Speaker of the 12th Parliament. It can only be by divine grace,” he said.
He thanked President Museveni and the NRM leadership for the confidence they had placed in him over the years.
“To those who may not have voted for me, I will be your Speaker too,” Oboth told Members of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tayebwa was elected Deputy Speaker after securing 457 votes against Asinansi Nyakato and Sarah Aguti.
President Museveni, who witnessed the proceedings, later congratulated the new parliamentary leadership and urged leaders to focus on service delivery and fighting poverty at grassroots level.