UK PARLIAMENT LESSONS! Speaker Oboth Taps Commons Experience to Drive 12th Parliament Reforms

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth is turning to the United Kingdom’s parliamentary experience as he moves to push his reform agenda in Uganda’s 12th Parliament.

Oboth has called for a stronger bilateral parliamentary network between Uganda and the UK to deepen cooperation in legislative oversight, staff development, education and trade.

The Speaker made the call on September 17, 2026, during a meeting with the Speaker of the UK House of Commons, Rt. Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, at the Palace of Westminster in London.

Oboth was accompanied by Uganda’s High Commissioner to the UK, Nimisha Madivani, and UK High Commissioner to Uganda Lisa Chesney.

RESET, REVIVE, REJUVENATE

Oboth said the proposed parliamentary network would support reforms aimed at changing the systems, structures and operations of Uganda’s Parliament.

“This is about consolidating our efforts to reset, revive, and rejuvenate the management and affairs of the Parliament of Uganda,” Oboth said.

He described the UK visit as a deliberate return to the roots of parliamentary practice, noting that Uganda’s parliamentary administrative framework was historically modelled on the House of Commons.

The proposed cooperation would include staff and Member of Parliament exchanges, attachments and benchmarking programmes between the two institutions.

Oboth said such programmes would turn longstanding relations between the two parliaments into practical cooperation.

“Such parliamentary relations should be strengthened to a level that brings the two parliaments, and the two nations, closer in jointly pursuing shared interests,” he said.

HOYLE BACKS COOPERATION

Hoyle welcomed the proposed cooperation and said the UK Parliament would support bilateral parliamentary relations and inter-parliamentary diplomacy between Kampala and London.

He also congratulated Oboth on his election earlier this year to Uganda’s third-highest constitutional office.

“We have seen you as a visionary leader and your unique approach to parliamentary work is a mark of great leadership qualities in you,” Hoyle said.

The UK Speaker said closer parliamentary ties would also strengthen relations within the Commonwealth family and help preserve the longstanding relationship between Uganda and the UK.

COMMONWEALTH CONNECTION

The London meeting comes shortly after the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Cape Town, South Africa, where Oboth pledged deeper parliamentary ties between Uganda and Pakistan.

The conference brought together more than 800 parliamentarians, Speakers and governance experts from across the Commonwealth under the theme:

“Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership.”

Oboth’s latest engagement with the UK Parliament therefore adds another dimension to his push for stronger international parliamentary partnerships.

The proposed Uganda-UK network is expected to provide opportunities for Parliament officials and legislators to learn from each other’s institutional practices, while strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

OBOTH’S REFORM DRIVE

Since taking over the Speaker’s office, Oboth has emphasised the need to reset and rejuvenate Parliament’s systems and operations.

His engagement with the House of Commons is now being presented as part of that broader reform effort, with the UK Parliament’s long institutional history providing a reference point for possible lessons and benchmarking.

The proposed cooperation now sets the stage for increased exchanges between Kampala and Westminster as Uganda’s 12th Parliament begins shaping its legislative and administrative agenda.