Uganda's Parliament Seeks UK Partnership for Reform

Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth, recently engaged in discussions with the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, in London. The meeting aimed to strengthen the relationship between the two legislative bodies and support Speaker Oboth’s initiative to reform the Parliament of Uganda.

This initiative seeks to re-establish the original purpose, systems, and operational practices of the Ugandan Parliament, drawing inspiration from the long institutional history of the UK Parliament. Speaker Oboth emphasized the importance of “resetting, reviving, and rejuvenating” the management and affairs of his country’s legislature.

The discussions also touched upon parliamentary diplomacy, with the goal of deepening the decades-old relationship between the two institutions. Potential avenues for collaboration include staff and member exchanges, attachments, and benchmarking programs.

Furthermore, Speaker Oboth called for an inter-parliamentary network to support bilateral interests in areas such as education, trade, and mining. He believes that enhancing these parliamentary relations can bring the two nations closer in pursuing shared objectives.

Speaker Hoyle congratulated Oboth on his position and expressed the UK Parliament’s willingness to support inter-parliamentary diplomacy. He also highlighted the role of such diplomacy within the Commonwealth, suggesting it could help unite African nations on a shared agenda.

This meeting is anticipated to be the first step towards a formal cooperation framework, with both parliaments open to further exchanges in governance, trade, and education.

Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/index.php/news/4622/speaker-oboth-seeks-closer-ties-uk-parliament-push-reform-ugandas-legislature