OBOTH REVIVES INSTITUTE OF PARLIAMENTARY STUDIES! German Experts, MPs, Staff Training Deal in Offing
KAMPALA — Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth has moved to revive the Institute of Parliamentary Studies (IPS), with Germany set to provide technical expertise and training support to boost the capacity of MPs and parliamentary staff.
Oboth revealed the plan on Monday during a meeting with the new German Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Sigrid Sommer, who paid a courtesy call on him at Parliament Buildings.
“We are restarting our Institute of Parliamentary Studies to train, expose, and broaden the minds of our members and staff,” Oboth said.
The Speaker said the revived Institute will become a key platform for training, research and capacity building, with the two countries working towards a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Ambassador Sommer welcomed the initiative and said German experts and facilitators would support training programmes at the Institute in selected areas.
Ugandan MPs and parliamentary staff are also expected to undertake exchange and study visits to Germany, giving them an opportunity to learn from the German parliamentary system and institutions.
The exchanges are expected to promote comparative learning and expose Parliament to practices that could help strengthen its legislative and administrative work.
Oboth said the partnership would allow Parliament to “learn and unlearn” while adopting best practices and strengthening parliamentary diplomacy.
The Speaker also proposed a formal MoU between the Parliament of Uganda and the German Parliament to anchor the broader cooperation.
According to Oboth, the agreement could facilitate parliamentary delegations between Uganda and Germany and, where appropriate, create opportunities for engagement with investors.
He said parliamentary cooperation could also support joint efforts in trade, humanitarian assistance, human rights and governance.
“We really want to enable Parliament to complement traditional diplomacy, working alongside the Head of State and Government to ease bottlenecks for investors and development partners,” Oboth said.
He stressed that parliamentary diplomacy would complement mainstream diplomacy rather than compete with it.
“Through Parliament-to-Parliament cooperation, we can enhance trade, deepen bilateral relations, and help unlock opportunities for our people,” he added.
Ambassador Sommer revealed that an active parliamentary group on Eastern Africa in the German Bundestag had planned visits focusing on humanitarian assistance and human rights.
The visits were earlier postponed due to Ebola-related circumstances but are expected to be rescheduled.
Sommer also highlighted German scholarship and internship programmes for African countries, including an opportunity for a Ugandan participant to undertake an internship at a German institution.
IPS ROOTS
The Institute of Parliamentary Studies traces its roots to 2012, when the Parliamentary Commission moved to establish specialised in-house training on the workings of Parliament.
The revived Institute is expected to serve as a dedicated centre for training, research and policy support for MPs and parliamentary staff.
Both sides agreed that structured cooperation between the Ugandan and German parliaments could strengthen institutional capacity and deepen bilateral parliamentary relations.
Oboth thanked Ambassador Sommer for the engagement and said Parliament was open to further discussions on the proposed partnership.
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