Jacqueline Mbabazi has pledged to fight corruption and champion the interests of older persons after taking oath as Member of Parliament representing the Elderly for Western Uganda in the 12th Parliament.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the swearing-in ceremony at Parliament, Jacqueline said corruption continues to undermine service delivery in critical sectors such as health and education and pledged to use her position to advocate for accountability.
“Corruption has denied us access to social services like medicine in hospitals and education services in schools. I am ready to fight corruption,” Jacqueline said.
She also defended the continued relevance of representatives for older persons in Parliament, arguing that elderly leaders bring experience and wisdom needed to guide younger legislators.
“The Elderly representatives are relevant because it is us the elderly with wisdom and thus, we shall counsel the younger MPs that have come in order to effectively carry out our duties in Parliament,” she added.
Her swearing-in was attended by her husband, former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who expressed excitement about her return to active legislative leadership and jokingly declared that he had finally found himself a new role.
“I am extremely happy, happy not because she is my wife, but because I know that Parliament has an effective voice for the next five years, not only for the older persons, but for all national issues,” Amama said.
The former Prime Minister revealed that he intends to support Jacqueline’s parliamentary work using his own political experience accumulated over decades in government.
“And I am happy because now I have a job. I will be acting as her consultant, as her assistant, and I will pool all the experiences we’ve had all this time,” he remarked.
“I am sure there will be a difference in Parliament,” Amama added.
Before addressing journalists, Amama had initially declined to speak, insisting that the day belonged to his wife. However, after repeated requests from reporters, he agreed to comment and expressed optimism that the 12th Parliament would benefit from experienced legislators like Jacqueline.
Jacqueline Mbabazi joins the new Parliament at a time when legislators are under increasing public scrutiny over accountability, service delivery, and representation of special interest groups.
Her remarks on corruption and mentorship of younger MPs come amid broader national debates about governance, generational leadership, and the role of experienced political figures in shaping Uganda’s legislative agenda.