Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth Oboth has declared a major shift in the way Parliament operates, saying the institution is being restored to its original purpose and must safeguard its independence from undue influence.
Speaking on the need for reforms, Oboth Oboth said Parliament is being “reset back to the factory default,” emphasizing that his office will no longer function as a centre for donations and financial assistance.
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(Video courtesy of Parliament Watch)
“I have stopped the office of the Speaker from being a donation centre. Those looking for donations should write to President Museveni, who is the chief donor of government,” he said.
The Speaker argued that Parliament's oversight role is undermined when legislators become financially dependent on the very ministries, departments and agencies they are tasked with supervising.
To address the problem, he revealed plans to strengthen committee funding so that parliamentary committees can effectively carry out their work without seeking support from government entities under scrutiny.
“There is nothing as demeaning as asking for kitu kidogo from those who you are supposed to supervise,” Oboth Oboth said.
He warned that Members of Parliament risk being compromised when agencies appearing before parliamentary committees provide them with money or other forms of support, potentially weakening accountability and oversight.
The Speaker framed the reforms as an accountability reset aimed at protecting Parliament’s integrity and independence. By reducing financial dependence on government agencies, he said legislators will be better positioned to hold public institutions accountable and perform their constitutional mandate without fear or favour.
He also added that funds that were previously held under the Office of the Speaker will be redirected to committees to support their oversight activities.
“The money that was being in the Office of the Speaker, Shs24 point something billion, we are resetting it back. That money is going to the committees,” Oboth Oboth said.
He revealed that from this financial year, no parliamentary committee should lack funding for its work. Each committee will be required to prepare a costed work plan outlining its oversight activities, which will then be funded accordingly.