ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE 12TH PARLIAMENT OBOTH OBOTH

By: Our Parliament reporter

West Budama County South Member of Parliament, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, was elected Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament after securing a commanding victory in a high-stakes vote held on Monday, May 25,2026 at Kololo Independence Grounds.

Oboth-Oboth won the race with 441 votes, far ahead of Paul Mwiru of the National Unity Platform, who garnered 60 votes, while Norbert Mao, also the Laroo-Pece MP, polled 15 votes. Three ballots were declared invalid.

The election, presided over by Flavian Zeija, attracted 519 Members of Parliament and was conducted by secret ballot in line with parliamentary procedure. President Yoweri Museveni also witnessed the proceedings.

Oboth-Oboth replaces Anita Annet Among, the Bukedea Woman MP whose tenure ended amid an ongoing corruption probe that has dominated political discourse in recent weeks.

Veteran Lawmaker Takes Charge

Commonly known as Jacob Oboth-Oboth, he is a Ugandan lawyer, intellectual property expert and politician who now serves as Speaker of the 12th Parliament of Uganda. He is also the elected Member of Parliament for West Budama County South and belongs to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Born on April 13, 1971, in Tororo District, Eastern Uganda, Oboth-Oboth was raised in an Anglican family. Known as a down-to-earth individual, he undertook several odd jobs during his childhood to make ends meet, including fetching water for residents at a fee and working as a storekeeper.

He attended Muwafu Primary School for his primary education before joining St. Denis Ssebugwawo Secondary School for his O-Level studies.

At one point, Oboth-Oboth was reportedly picked up by American missionaries from the streets of Tororo after he had been sent away from school due to lack of tuition. During his time with the missionaries, he worked as a storekeeper and performed other petty jobs for two years before joining Tororo High School for his A-Level education.

In 1997, he was admitted to Makerere University to pursue a Bachelor of Laws degree. He later enrolled for a management certificate course at Uganda Management Institute.

Oboth-Oboth graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2001 and obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Law Development Centre in 2002.

In 2004, he acquired two certifications from the International Development Law Organization, one in Intellectual Property and another in Public Procurement. He also earned a Master of Laws degree in Election and Cyber Law from the University of Minnesota in 2007.

Career in Law and Politics

After graduating as a lawyer, Oboth-Oboth served as Deputy Attorney General for the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution. He later joined the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as a State Attorney and worked at the Mbale Regional Office before travelling to the United States to pursue his master’s degree.

Upon his return to Uganda in 2007, he resumed government service until 2010 when he resigned to join active politics.

His stay in the United States enabled him to acquire donors who initiated projects in his constituency, which reportedly boosted his political support. He was also able to easily connect with poorer communities because many residents viewed him as one of their own due to his humble upbringing.

Oboth-Oboth was first elected as West Budama South MP in 2011 as an independent candidate after defeating then State Minister for Labor, Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, who later unsuccessfully challenged the election results in court.

He retained the parliamentary seat in 2016 after polling 20,653 votes against NRM candidate Phiby Awere Otaala, who garnered 19,462 votes.

He also set a record as the first legislator to win a second successive term in the constituency since 1996, when no incumbent MP had previously been re-elected consecutively.

Parliamentary Leadership Experience

During the 9th Parliament, Oboth-Oboth served as chairperson of the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, chaired the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating the electricity sub-sector, and also headed the Committee on Natural Resources.

In the 10th Parliament, he served as chairperson of the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and became a member of both the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and the Business Committee.

He also previously served as State Minister for Defense, further strengthening his experience in public administration and governance.

Rise to the Speaker ship

On Friday, May 15, 2026, the  Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen.Muhoozi Kainerugaba and members of the Patriotic League of Uganda, a prominent civic and political pressure group  endorsed Oboth-Oboth for Speaker of the 12th Parliament withdrawing their support from incumbent Anita Among.

Further endorsement came on Saturday, May 23, 2026, when the National Resistance Movement Central Executive Committee approved Oboth-Oboth as the party candidate for Speaker of the 12th Parliament.

New Era in Parliament

The office of Speaker remains one of the most powerful positions in Uganda’s legislative arm, responsible for presiding over parliamentary proceedings, enforcing order, and steering national debate in the House.

Oboth-Oboth now assumes office at a politically sensitive moment, with Parliament expected to handle major governance and accountability matters during the new term.

His landslide victory further cements the ruling NRM party’s dominance in Parliament and ushers in a new leadership phase for Uganda’s 12th Parliament.