Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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Photo Credit: Daily Monitor.
Several Members of Parliament (MPs) in Uganda’s 12th Parliament were forced to stand or sit in the public gallery during today’s plenary session due to a severe shortage of seats in the main chamber. some were standing in aisles while others occupied visitor areas
The current Parliament comprises approximately 529 seats, 499 directly elected (including constituency and women district representatives), plus indirectly elected members for youth, persons with disabilities, workers, the elderly, UPDF representatives, and ex-officio members
It should be noted that Plans for a new, modern parliamentary complex have been on the table for years. The project, valued at around Shs200 billion (and higher in some estimates), was intended to provide spacious chambers capable of seating 500–600 MPs comfortably.
Construction began around 2017 with an original three-year timeline, but it has faced repeated delays, missed deadlines, and extensions.
New Parliamentary Chambers under construction
As of 2026, the new facility remains incomplete. Reports suggest suspicions of corruption and poor project management have contributed to the stalls. Parliament continues to incur significant rental and operational costs while operating from the outdated main building and supplementary spaces
