Outgoing State Minister for Defence Jacob Oboth-Oboth has unexpectedly emerged as a strong contender for the position of Speaker of Parliament, one of the most powerful offices in Uganda’s governance structure and the top leadership role in Parliament.
His name gained attention after Chief of Defence Forces and First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly endorsed him for the position.
“He has been the best Minister in our government for the past 5 years. I want to be the first to endorse him for Speaker of Parliament (2026-2031). God bless Hon. Oboth-Oboth,” Muhoozi posted on X.
Muhoozi’s remarks came amid reports of a high-level meeting at State House chaired by President Yoweri Museveni. The meeting was reportedly attended by current Speaker Anita Among and former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, sparking fresh speculation about who will lead the 12th Parliament.
Uganda’s Parliament is expected to elect a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker on 25 May 2026.
Who is Jacob Oboth-Oboth?
Jacob Marksons Oboth, popularly known as Jacob Oboth-Oboth, was born on 13 April 1971. He is a lawyer, intellectual property expert and politician affiliated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
He currently serves as the elected Member of Parliament for West Budama County South and also holds the position of State Minister for Defence in charge of General Duties.
Over the years, Oboth-Oboth has built a strong reputation in Parliament, particularly in legal and governance matters. He currently chairs the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and has previously headed the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges as well as the Committee on Natural Resources. He is also a member of Parliament’s Business Committee.
After completing his law degree, Oboth-Oboth worked as Deputy Attorney General for the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution before joining the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as a State Attorney 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 in the United States.
When he returned to Uganda in 2010, he joined active politics and used the networks he had built abroad to attract development partners and community projects to his constituency, helping him gain political support.
Oboth-Oboth was first elected to Parliament in 2011 as an Independent candidate after defeating then State Minister for Labour, Dr Emmanuel Otaala. Otaala later challenged the results in court but lost the case.
He was re-elected in 2016, becoming the first politician since 1996 to win two consecutive parliamentary terms in West Budama South.
During the 9th Parliament, Oboth-Oboth chaired the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and also led the parliamentary ad hoc committee that investigated Uganda’s electricity sub-sector.
He later went on to chair the Committee on Natural Resources before taking up his current leadership role on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
Jacob Oboth-Oboth has previously attempted to contest for the position of Speaker twice — in 2021 and again in 2022 following the death of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. However, he later withdrew from both races.
