The four-day induction seminar for Members of the 12th Parliament officially got underway at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Tuesday, bringing together legislators from across the political divide for orientation on their legislative, oversight and representative roles.
The opening session was attended by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, ministers and senior government officials.
Addressing the newly sworn-in legislators, Speaker Oboth-Oboth reminded Members that Ugandans have entrusted them with high expectations at a time when the country is pursuing an ambitious socio-economic transformation agenda.
“The citizenry of Uganda have huge expectations of the 12th Parliament, especially at a time when government has set an ambitious socio-economic agenda,” the Speaker said.
He said the induction seminar is intended to equip legislators with the knowledge and skills required to effectively discharge their constitutional mandate.
“The knowledge and skill gained from this seminar will be a catalyst for greater responsiveness in addressing the needs and aspirations of our people,” Oboth-Oboth said.
The Speaker also announced that Parliament will soon move to constitute its sectoral and standing committees, paving the way for the House to begin substantive legislative business.
“At the next sitting of the House, parliamentary committees will be constituted in furtherance of Article 90 of the 1995 Constitution,” he said.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja called on Members of Parliament to support government’s development agenda, saying Uganda has made significant economic progress under President Yoweri Museveni’s leadership.
She noted that the country has moved from the category of Least Developed Countries to lower-middle-income status and urged legislators to work together in advancing policies that will enable Uganda attain upper-middle-income status.
“I urge the 12th Parliament to continue supporting the government’s development agenda as Uganda strives to attain upper-middle-income status,” Nabbanja said.
Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi was also in attendance alongside legislators from both the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and opposition parties, underscoring the bipartisan nature of the induction programme.
Ssenyonyi urged Members of the 12th Parliament to defend accountability equally, regardless of who holds public office.
“Public resources belong neither to gov’t nor to Parliament. They belong to the people of Uganda. Every shilling appropriated by this House carries with it a solemn obligation to account for how it is spent,”he noted.
He also urged the members to prioritise three key areas, citing, safeguarding the independence of Parliament, protecting meaningful debate and defending accountability equally, irrespective of the office holder.
The seminar is meant to orient Members on parliamentary procedure, ethics, committee work, budgeting, law-making and oversight, ahead of the commencement of full parliamentary business under the 12th Parliament.
