KAMPALA — Newly elected Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth Oboth has pledged to lead Parliament with humility, accountability and transparency, declaring that the office of Speaker is meant to serve Ugandans rather than exercise power over them.
Addressing Members of Parliament shortly after taking oath as Speaker of the 12th Parliament at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Oboth said the leadership of Parliament must remain focused on protecting the interests of ordinary citizens.
“The Speaker’s chair is not a throne; it is a servant’s position. My role now is to come before you and ensure that, by working together, the voices of the over 40 million Ugandans who sent us here are heard, protected, and respected,” Oboth said.
Oboth was elected Speaker after defeating opposition-backed candidate Paul Mwiru and Norbert Mao in a vote presided over by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija.
The sitting was witnessed by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and attended by Members of Parliament, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and religious leaders.
In his maiden speech, Oboth promised to champion integrity within Parliament and declared zero tolerance for corruption in the institution.
“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. Accountability begins with us,” he said.
He added that Parliament must lead by example in holding public institutions accountable.
“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,” Oboth noted.
The Speaker also promised reforms aimed at ensuring parliamentary decisions directly respond to the needs of ordinary Ugandans.
“Every Bill, motion, and decision must directly respond to the needs of the ordinary citizen. Results must guide our work. 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,” he said.
Oboth further called for a more transparent Parliament and praised the media for its oversight role.
“An open Parliament: 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 said.
On oversight, the Speaker urged parliamentary committees to intervene before public funds are lost rather than reacting after damage has already occurred.
“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 added.
Oboth, who traced his journey from Muwafu village in Tororo District to the Speaker’s chair, attributed his election 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 also thanked the ruling National Resistance Movement, the NRM Parliamentary Caucus and Members of Parliament for entrusting him with the leadership role.
“To those who may not have voted for me, I will be your Speaker too,” Oboth told legislators.
The election of Oboth marked the beginning of the first sitting of Uganda’s 12th Parliament, during which Thomas Tayebwa was also elected Deputy Speaker.
