MPs Seek Law Change to Have Parliament Elect Leader of the Opposition

A fresh political battle over the office of the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) is brewing after two Members of Parliament notified Parliament of their intention to introduce a Private Member’s Bill seeking to amend the Administration of Parliament Act.

Kibanda North MP Linos Ngompek and Buyaga West MP Denis Namara, both affiliated with the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), served notice to the Speaker of Parliament, saying they were seeking leave to table a Bill to Amend the Administration of Parliament Act. The intention is to have the Leader of the Opposition elected by Parliament. 

The law currently provides that the Leader of the Opposition is selected by the opposition party with the highest number of seats in Parliament. 

“In accordance with Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, I hereby give notice of my intention to move a motion for leave of the House to introduce a Private Member’s Bill entitled “The Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2026,” read the notice copied to the Deputy Speaker and the Clerk to Parliament.

Speaking to journalists shortly after filing the notice, Namara argued that the current system concentrates excessive authority in one political party and undermines accountability within the multiparty political system.

“The office of the Leader of the Opposition should be under the purview of Parliament in the execution of its mandate. At the moment, the Leader of the Opposition is effectively chosen at Kavule by a few individuals without consultation with other opposition Members of Parliament,” Namara said.

//Cue in: “That leader of opposition…   

Cue out…multiparty political dispensation.”//   

His remarks revive a long-running debate over whether the Leader of the Opposition should remain the nominee of the largest opposition political party or instead be elected by all opposition legislators.

Article 82A of the Constitution establishes the Office of the Leader of the Opposition as the official head of the Opposition in Parliament. 

The Administration of Parliament Act operationalizes that constitutional provision by requiring the largest opposition political party in Parliament to nominate the Leader of the Opposition, whose appointment is then formally announced by the Speaker.

Following the reconstitution of Parliament in May 2026, the National Unity Platform (NUP), which remains the largest opposition party with 48 MPs, nominated Joel Ssenyonyi to serve as Leader of the Opposition. Speaker Jacob Oulanyah Oboth-Oboth formally announced the appointment in accordance with the law.

Under the current legal framework, the office falls vacant only if the holder resigns, loses parliamentary membership, ceases to belong to the nominating party, is replaced by that party, or if another opposition party becomes the largest opposition bloc in Parliament.

Parliament itself currently has no statutory power to remove or elect the Leader of the Opposition

. The proposed Bill closely mirrors the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced by former Mityana South MP Richard Lumu.

That Bill sought to replace party nomination with election of the Leader of the Opposition by all opposition MPs, require parliamentary approval of the Shadow Cabinet, introduce additional grounds for removing the Leader of the Opposition, and compel broader consultation in appointing committee chairpersons.

The proposal attracted widespread criticism from opposition parties, constitutional lawyers, and governance experts, who argued it would weaken political party autonomy guaranteed under Articles 71 and 72 of the Constitution and undermine the Westminster model upon which Uganda’s parliamentary opposition system is based.

The Bill was eventually withdrawn in March 2026 following extensive consultations. 

The latest initiative comes days after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced on his X account that he had instructed PLU to “study how to remove” Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi.

In a subsequent post, he added that “the process of appointing our own Leader of the Opposition” had already begun. The remarks generated widespread debate over civil-military relations and whether senior military officers should publicly comment on matters reserved for civilian political institutions.

Although the Constitution guarantees the Uganda People’s Defence Forces a non-partisan role under Articles 208 and 209. Alice Alaso, Acting National Coordinator of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), described the latest legislative initiative as part of an increasingly worrying trend.