Speaker Oboth Ends ‘Donation Culture’ at Parliament, Prioritises Oversight Funding

The Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament, Rt Hon Jacob Oboth-Oboth, has called for the restoration of accountability within the institution, saying Parliament must lead by example if it is to effectively hold others accountable.

While commending previous parliamentary leadership, Oboth said the current Parliament would focus less on personal favours and more on serving Ugandans.

The Speaker made the remarks on Thursday, June 11, 2026, during a thanksgiving ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja at her home in Makerere-Kavule.

“Parliament is the only place where accountability makes sense, and it starts with us,” Oboth said.

He told Members of Parliament that the institution cannot demand accountability from government agencies if it is not accountable itself. He warned accounting officers against bribery and the misuse of public funds, stressing that reports by the Auditor General and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee would be taken seriously.

“If you are a CAO, change your prayers. Be honest in what you do. You will come and go well,” he warned.

Oboth said Parliament is being reset to its intended role and revealed that his office would no longer operate as a centre for personal donations and financial assistance. Instead, he advised those seeking such support to direct their requests to President Yoweri Museveni, whom he described as “the chief donor of government.”

The Speaker said resources would instead be channelled towards strengthening parliamentary committees in order to reduce MPs’ dependence on ministries, departments and agencies that they are mandated to oversee.

“There is nothing more demeaning than asking for kitu kidogo from those you are supposed to supervise,” he said.

According to Oboth, legislators risk compromising their oversight role when agencies appearing before parliamentary committees provide them with financial favours. He described the reforms as part of a broader accountability reset aimed at safeguarding Parliament’s independence.

The Speaker further announced that funds previously held under the Office of the Speaker would be redirected to parliamentary committees to support oversight activities.

“The money that was in the Office of the Speaker, Shs24 point something billion, we are resetting it back. That money is going to the committees,” he said.

Oboth noted that no committee should lack funding to execute its mandate from the current financial year onwards. He explained that committees would be required to prepare costed work plans for oversight activities, which would then be funded accordingly.

He said the move was intended to prevent corruption by ensuring MPs are adequately facilitated and therefore less susceptible to seeking favours from institutions under their scrutiny.

The Speaker also questioned the prolonged delay in the construction of Parliament’s new chamber, noting that the project has remained incomplete despite budgetary allocations and reports that some funds remain on Parliament’s account at the Bank of Uganda.

“A chamber taking from 2014 to date, unless you are building something else, but not that small Parliament,” Oboth remarked.

He alleged that the delays were not due to a lack of funding but rather the pursuit of kickbacks by some individuals involved in the project.

“Me, a son of a peasant whom God has blessed to be a Speaker, what else can you do to me?” he said, emphasizing that his focus is on service delivery and accountability rather than personal gain.

Prime Minister Nabbanja hosted the thanksgiving ceremony to celebrate her reappointment as Prime Minister by President Yoweri Museveni.