Jacob Oboth-Oboth has been elected Speaker of the 12th Parliament following a voting exercise held at Kololo Independence Grounds on Monday.
Having got 441 votes, he trounced National Unity P latfrom’s Paul Mwiru who came second with 60 votes, while former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Nobert Mao came third with 15 votes.
Oboth-Oboth, who represents West Budama South Constituency, has steadily risen through Uganda’s political and legal ranks since first entering Parliament in 2011.
Known for his calm demeanor and legal expertise, the new Speaker comes from a modest political background. Before joining elective politics, he served as Deputy Attorney General for the Tieng Adhola cultural institution and later worked as a State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs based in Mbale.
In 2007, he left government service to pursue a Master’s degree in Election and Cyber Law at the University of Minnesota. Upon his return to Uganda in 2010, he joined active politics.
Political observers say Oboth-Oboth leveraged networks built during his time in the United States to attract development partners and community projects to his constituency, helping strengthen his grassroots support.
In the 2011 general election, he defeated then State Minister for Labour, Dr. Emmanuel Otaala, to become Member of Parliament for West Budama South.
He retained the seat in 2016, becoming the first legislator in the constituency since 1996 to win a second consecutive term.
During his first term in Parliament, Oboth-Oboth chaired the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, a role that marked the beginning of his rise within parliamentary leadership.
He later chaired the parliamentary ad hoc committee that investigated the electricity sub-sector and also served on the Committee on Natural Resources.
Oboth-Oboth gained national prominence as Chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, which processed the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill that removed the presidential age limit.
He also served on the Business Committee and the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, positions that further elevated his profile within Parliament.
Born in April 1971 in Tororo District, Oboth-Oboth is regarded as an expert in intellectual property law and parliamentary procedure.
He attended Muwafu Primary School before joining St. Denis Ssebugwawo Secondary School for his O-Level education and later Tororo High School for his A-Level . He later joined Makerere University for a Bachelor of Laws degree and also obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Law Development Centre in 2002.
He previously expressed interest in the position of Speaker in 2021 but stepped aside after the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) endorsed the late Jacob Oulanyah.
Following Oulanyah’s death in 2022, Oboth-Oboth again sought the position but later withdrew in support of Anita Annet Among, the NRM-backed candidate at the time.
In the 11th Parliament, he served as Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs before his election as Speaker.
New sheriff in town
As the speaker of parliament, Oboth – Oboth will serve as the neutral head of the legislature, responsible for presiding over parliamentary sittings, maintaining order, enforcing procedural rules, and representing the institution corporately.
He will therefore act as the chief administrative and political leader of parliament for the next five years.
As speaker, Oboth- Oboth will also be the Chairperson of the parliamentary commission, the presidential appointments committee and the business committee.
