Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, the Member of Parliament for West Budama Central, has been elected as the Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament. His victory came after a strong showing in a secret ballot held on Monday at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where he won by a wide margin.
Oboth-Oboth, who was the candidate for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and a former defence minister, secured a total of 441 votes. This gave him a clear and decisive win over his competitors in the race for one of the most powerful positions in Parliament.
His closest challenger was National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Paul Mwiru, who managed to gather 60 votes. Democratic Party president general Norbert Mao came in third with 15 votes. The results showed a significant gap between the winner and the other contenders.
The election was conducted through a secret ballot and supervised by the Clerk to Parliament. It took place during the first sitting of the first meeting of the first session of the newly formed Parliament. This marked an important moment as newly elected legislators gathered to choose their leader in the House for the next five years.
Before the vote, Oboth-Oboth was widely seen as the front-runner. He had already received strong backing from the NRM caucus during a meeting at State House Entebbe, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni. Reports indicated that some rival aspirants stepped down in his favour during the discussions, strengthening his position ahead of the election.
His victory now sets the tone for the leadership of Uganda’s 12th Parliament as it begins its five-year term, with expectations high on how the new Speaker will guide proceedings in the House.
