Written By | Staff Writer
Dennis Namara
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PARLIAMENT
A proposed law seeking to change how Uganda’s Leader of the Opposition is elected has been gazetted, setting the stage for debate over the selection of opposition leadership in Parliament.
The Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Buyaga West MP Dennis Namara, proposes that all opposition MPs elect the Leader of the Opposition instead of leaving the responsibility to the largest opposition party.
The Bill is listed as Bill No. 15 in the Uganda Gazette, Volume CXIX, No. 95, dated October 23, 2026.
Under the proposed arrangement, all opposition MPs would participate in choosing their parliamentary leader. Under the existing system, the largest opposition party designates the person to occupy the position.
Joel Ssenyonyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the largest opposition party in Parliament, currently serves as Leader of the Opposition.
The Bill also proposes that opposition MPs approve the Shadow Cabinet through a resolution. It introduces additional grounds for removing the Leader of the Opposition, including misconduct, incompetence and inability to perform the duties of the office because of physical or mental infirmity.
It further seeks to broaden consultations on the appointment of opposition representatives to parliamentary leadership positions, including committee chairpersons.
If enacted in its current form, the Bill would require the sitting Leader of the Opposition to vacate office three months after the law comes into force, paving the way for a fresh election under the proposed system.
Parliament granted Namara leave to introduce the Bill on July 8, 2026, following a debate chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
The proposal comes amid debate over how opposition leadership should be determined and whether the existing arrangement gives the largest opposition party excessive control over the selection process.
Supporters argue that involving all opposition MPs would make the process more inclusive and strengthen accountability. Critics, however, have raised concerns that the proposed arrangement could weaken the influence of the largest opposition party and potentially allow MPs outside that party to influence the choice of its leader.
The Bill follows an earlier attempt to change the selection process through a proposal introduced by former Mityana South MP Richard Lumu in 2024. That Bill was withdrawn in March 2026 after attracting objections.
The new Bill has not yet become law. It must undergo Parliament’s legislative process before MPs can vote on the proposed amendments.
Until then, Ssenyonyi remains Leader of the Opposition under the existing legal framework.
