Parliament has approved the appointment of Jessica Alupo, the Katakwi District Woman MP, as Vice President, and Robinah Nabbanja, the Kakumiro District Woman MP, as Prime Minister of Uganda.
Their approval followed their appointment by President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday night as part of the new Cabinet.
The approval took place during the second plenary sitting of the 12th Parliament, chaired by the newly elected Speaker, Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth.
The motion to approve Alupo was moved by Ephraim Kamuntu in accordance with Article 108(2) of the Constitution of Uganda. The motion was seconded by several MPs, including David Calvin Echodu (Soroti City West), Minsa Kabanda (Kampala Central), and Catherine Lamwaka (Omoro District Woman MP), among others.
Addressing Parliament shortly after her approval, Vice President Jessica Alupo emphasized the need to connect grassroots communities to the money economy. She urged MPs to support efforts aimed at transitioning the 33 million Ugandans currently outside the formal economy into productive economic participation.
“Dear members, let’s focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. The people of Uganda have entrusted us with the responsibility to serve them, particularly through wealth and job creation,” Alupo said.
Parliament later approved Robinah Nabbanja as Prime Minister following a motion presented by Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the Lira City Woman MP.
Nabbanja pledged to strengthen cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature to improve service delivery across the country.
“I commit to building on the strong foundation already in place by effectively leading a robust political and technical service delivery team that responds to the needs of the people,” Nabbanja said.
Under Uganda’s Constitution, Article 108(2) requires the President to appoint a Vice President with the approval of Parliament, while Article 108A(1) provides that the Prime Minister must be appointed by the President and approved by Parliament. The Prime Minister must also be a Member of Parliament or eligible to become one.
Articles 113 and 114 further require parliamentary approval for all Cabinet ministerial appointments, a process aimed at ensuring checks and balances, verifying candidates’ integrity and qualifications, and granting democratic legitimacy to the Executive branch.
Both Alupo and Nabbanja served in the same positions during the previous term. Alupo has served as Vice President since June 2021. Prior to that, she served as Minister of Education and Sports from 2011 to 2016 and State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs from 2009 to 2011.
