SPEAKER ELECTION: Jacob Oboth-Oboth, the Member of Parliament for West Budama County South, has been elected the new Speaker of Uganda’s 12th Parliament.
Oboth-Oboth secured victory after garnering the majority of votes (441) in an election held today during the first sitting of the 12th Parliament at Kololo Independence Grounds.
In the race, he defeated Paul Mwiru, from the National Unity Platform who received 60 votes , as well as Norbert Mao of the Democratic Party with 15 votes. Three(3) votes were invalid.
In presence was His excellence, the president of Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Who is Jacob Oboth-Oboth?
Jacob Oboth-Oboth, also known as Jacob Marksons Oboth, was born on April 13, 1971. He is a Ugandan lawyer, intellectual property (IP) expert, and politician affiliated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). He serves as the elected Member of Parliament for West Budama County South and also holds the position of State Minister for Defence (General Duties).
Oboth-Oboth currently chairs the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and has previously served as chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, as well as the Committee on Natural Resources. He is also an active member of the Parliamentary Business Committee.
Background
After completing his law degree, Oboth-Oboth served as Deputy Attorney General for the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution. He later worked as a State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs based in Mbale.
In 2007, he left government service to pursue a master’s degree in election and cyber law at the University of Minnesota. Upon his return to Uganda in 2010, he joined active politics and used the connections he had built in the United States to attract donors who initiated projects in his constituency, helping him gain support among voters.
Leadership
Oboth-Oboth was elected as an Independent Member of Parliament for West Budama South in 2011 after defeating the then State Minister for Labour, Emmanuel Otaala, who unsuccessfully challenged the election results in court.
He was re-elected in 2016, becoming the first legislator to win a second consecutive term in the constituency since 1996.
During the 9th Parliament, Oboth-Oboth chaired the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating the electricity subsector, and the Committee on Natural Resources.
