PARLIAMENT, Uganda – A proposed law seeking to change how Uganda’s Leader of the Opposition is elected and removed from office has been formally introduced in Parliament, setting the stage for renewed debate over the powers of the country’s largest opposition party.
Buyaga West County Member of Parliament Dennis Namara tabled the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2026, for its first reading Wednesday, Nov. 11, with Speaker Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth referring it to the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for scrutiny.
The committee has been given 45 days to examine the proposed legislation and report its findings to Parliament before the Bill can proceed to the next stage.
The Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is chaired by John Teira, the NRM legislator for Bugabula County North, and deputised by Edward Otto Makmot, also an NRM legislator, representing Agago County. The committee will now be tasked with scrutinising the proposed changes, which could significantly alter how opposition leadership is determined in Parliament.
The Bill seeks to remove the exclusive authority of the largest opposition party to select the Leader of the Opposition, proposing instead that all opposition Members of Parliament participate in electing the officeholder.
Under Section 8 of the Administration of Parliament Act, 1997, the opposition party with the greatest numerical strength in Parliament currently determines who occupies the position. Although the party may consult other opposition parties and independent legislators, it is not legally required to do so.
Namara’s proposal would change that arrangement by introducing a broader voting process, potentially reducing the influence of the largest opposition party over parliamentary opposition leadership.
The proposed amendments would also require opposition MPs to approve the Shadow Cabinet through a parliamentary resolution. Currently, the Leader of the Opposition appoints members of the Shadow Cabinet in consultation with party leadership.
The Bill further seeks to strengthen consultation among opposition parties and independent legislators when selecting representatives for parliamentary leadership positions, including committee appointments.
It introduces additional grounds for removing the Leader of the Opposition, including misconduct, incompetence and inability to perform official duties because of physical or mental infirmity.
One of its most consequential provisions would require the sitting Leader of the Opposition to vacate office three months after the proposed law takes effect, paving the way for a fresh election under the new arrangement.
The proposed changes could directly affect Joel Ssenyonyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), who currently serves as Leader of the Opposition. Ssenyonyi, the Nakawa Division West legislator, first assumed the position in January 2024 after replacing Mathias Mpuuga.
Namara, a National Resistance Movement (NRM) legislator associated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), has defended the proposal as an effort to strengthen democracy, accountability and wider participation in opposition leadership.
Parliament granted him permission to introduce the Private Member’s Bill on July 8, 2026, during a sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
At the time, Namara argued that allowing one political party to determine the opposition’s parliamentary leadership denied legislators from other opposition parties meaningful participation in choosing a leader expected to represent their collective interests.
The proposal has, however, attracted opposition from legislators who believe the existing arrangement protects the independence of political parties and recognises the electoral strength of the largest opposition grouping.
The Bill also comes amid political tensions involving Ssenyonyi and Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who leads the PLU. The organisation previously expressed support for changes to the law governing the selection and removal of the Leader of the Opposition.
A similar proposal introduced by former Mityana South MP Richard Lumu in 2024 faced resistance from several opposition political parties before being withdrawn in March 2026.
The latest Bill, published in the Uganda Gazette on Oct. 23, 2026, as Bill No. 15, now faces parliamentary scrutiny, including consideration of its implications for multiparty democracy, opposition representation and the independence of parliamentary leadership.
Questions have also emerged over its financial implications, following concerns about the absence of a Certificate of Financial Implication and whether some provisions could fall under constitutional restrictions on legislation affecting public funds.
The Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs will be expected to examine these concerns and advise Parliament on whether the proposed amendments should proceed, be revised or be rejected.
For now, the Bill remains a legislative proposal. The existing law continues to govern the selection and removal of the Leader of the Opposition until Parliament approves any changes and they become law.
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