Uganda’s newly elected Speaker, Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, has publicly credited Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja for orchestrating his rise to the country’s third-highest office.
Speaking candidly, Oboth-Oboth described himself as the only Speaker in Uganda’s history who was “dragged into the Chair,” revealing that the push for his election did not originate from him.
“I want to thank the CDF in particular and on record. This operation of me becoming the Speaker was initiated by the CDF and the Prime Minister. I am the only Speaker who was dragged into the Chair,” Oboth-Oboth said.
The Speaker, who serves as the NRM Member of Parliament for West Budama Central and formerly held the position of State Minister for Defence, was elected Speaker of the 12th Parliament on May 25, 2026. He secured a landslide victory with 441 votes after receiving backing from Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Patriotic League of Uganda and the NRM Central Executive Committee.
His remarks have drawn attention to the influence of Uganda’s military and executive leadership in shaping key political outcomes, coming just weeks after his election and following the handover of his Defence Ministry responsibilities to David Muhoozi Kiryowa.
The revelation offers a rare glimpse into the political maneuvering behind one of the country’s most powerful parliamentary positions and is likely to fuel further debate about the relationship between the military, the executive, and Parliament.
