Bill Seeking Overhaul of Opposition Leadership Selection Clears First Hurdle in Parliament

By Peter Luzinda 

Kampala, Uganda – Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — A proposal to change how Uganda's Leader of Opposition is chosen has taken its first legislative step after Parliament granted Buyaga West MP Dennis Namara leave to introduce the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend the current law by allowing all opposition Members of Parliament to elect the Leader of Opposition, replacing the existing system in which the office is determined by the numerically largest opposition political party in Parliament.

Moving the motion before the House, Namara argued that the current arrangement excludes MPs from smaller opposition parties from participating in the selection of the Leader of Opposition, despite the office being expected to represent the interests of the entire opposition in Parliament.

The Bill also proposes to broaden the grounds for removing a Leader of Opposition from office. Namara said the law should be amended to include incompetence and misconduct among the reasons for removal, saying the proposed changes would strengthen accountability and improve the effectiveness of the office.

The motion drew mixed reactions from legislators. Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba opposed the proposal, arguing that an almost identical Bill had been introduced during the 11th Parliament by Manjiya County MP Richard Lumu before it was later withdrawn at the First Reading stage.

Bugabula North MP John Teira rejected that argument, saying there is no parliamentary rule preventing a new Parliament from reconsidering proposals that were not concluded by its predecessor. He cited the reintroduction of the Sexual Offences Bill in a subsequent Parliament as an example of legislation being revived after earlier efforts had failed.

The leave granted by Parliament allows Namara to formally present the Bill for its First Reading, after which it will be referred to the relevant committee for scrutiny before returning to the House for debate. If enacted, the amendments would fundamentally change the process of selecting the Leader of Opposition and introduce new accountability standards for holders of the office.