Namara Bill Proposes That All Opposition MPs Elect the Leader of the Opposition

Denis Namara

A Bill that would change how Uganda’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP) is chosen and removed from office has been gazetted, bringing the proposal a step closer to debate in Parliament.

The Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Buyaga West County MP Dennis Namara, appears as No. 15 in the Uganda Gazette of 23 October 2026.

What the Bill proposes

The main change concerns how the LoP is selected. Under the current arrangement, the largest opposition party designates the officeholder. Under the Bill, all opposition MPs would elect the LoP, regardless of party.

On 8 July 2026, Parliament granted Namara leave to introduce the Bill as a Private Member’s Bill. His proposals include:

• Removal of the LoP: additional grounds for removing the officeholder from office.
• Shadow Cabinet: approval of the Shadow Cabinet by opposition MPs.
• Appointments: wider consultation on opposition appointments to parliamentary leadership positions.

What it means

If passed, the changes would shift power over the LoP’s selection and tenure from the largest opposition party to the opposition MPs as a whole. They would also give opposition MPs a say in the Shadow Cabinet and in opposition nominations to parliamentary leadership positions.

A Private Member’s Bill is introduced by an individual MP rather than by the government. Gazetting makes the Bill’s text public. It does not make it law. The Bill must still go through the usual parliamentary stages, including committee scrutiny and debate, before it can be passed and assented to.