The 12th Parliament kicked off last week, with the leadership facing an uphill task of restoring public confidence in an institution beset by claims of corruption. The Parliament has also faced criticism over declining oversight of government spending, leaving many questioning the institution’s efficiency. But the biggest task of holding to account Parliament, the Executive, and the Judiciary will likely fall more on the shoulders of Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP).
Mr Ssenyonyi of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party, who retained his post barely a week ago, faces yet another task of ensuring Parliament regains its role as an effective watchdog. Speaking to Daily Monitor at the weekend, Mr Ssenyonyi contended that his 30-member Opposition Cabinet will focus on renewed efforts to expose corruption across the three arms of government. He said the 11th Parliament grappled with several corruption and bribery scandals, evidenced by diverting public funds to individual benefits.
‘The fight against corruption is still on. We are going to amplify it even harder, and when money is appropriated, we shall keep following it up,’ Mr Ssenyonyi said. ‘We will keep on following the money appropriated to different ministries and entities like Atiak Sugar Factory, which has not produced any significant sugar, Roko Construction Company, DEI Bio Pharma Ltd, and Inspire Africa Coffee Factory, being given nearly a trillion, among others,’ he added. The Nakawa West lawmaker also said they will increase scrutiny of alternative and supplementary budget requests, noting that it has generated significant controversy in recent years.
Bill on public participation
The March 2025 Afrobarometer report on democracy in Uganda found that only 49 percent of Ugandans have trust in Parliament, and only 15 percent of citizens think MPs listen to ordinary people, highlighting that great strides are still needed to restore public trust in the August House. Mr Ssenyonyi stated that the Opposition seeks to table a private members’ Bill, making public participation in parliamentary proceedings mandatory to enable the Parliament to involve Ugandans while processing Bills, approving the appointed government officials, among others, to promote transparency.
He noted that on many occasions, public views have been neglected on different Bills passed in Parliament, yet the people are always the victims of the laws enacted. ‘In countries like Kenya, public participation is taken critically. If it’s a Bill, they must participate; when somebody is appointed as a minister, the people must be given space to send in their views to be brought to the table,’ he noted. The LoP said he will also focus on human rights concerns, including cases of Opposition supporters and some government critics who have remained in detention for years without prosecution.
Many people, including religious leaders, have repeatedly raised concerns over alleged unlawful arrests, torture, abductions, and prolonged remand, demanding answers for several Opposition supporters arrested during and after the 2021 polls and still languishing in detention, with some of their cases unresolved in court. Mr Ssenyonyi heads the Opposition that has 48 legislators from NUP, 12 from Uganda Peoples Congress, nine from Democratic Change, six from the Democratic Party, two from the People’s Front for Freedom, and one from the Alliance for National Transformation. The ruling NRM party has 372 MPs, while Independents are 68.
Uphill task
The 11th Parliament was repeatedly criticised for excessive spending, including large cash allocations to legislators, controversial supplementary budget approvals, and expenditures that many citizens considered disconnected from the country’s economic hardships. Currently, the former Speaker, Ms Anita Among, is undergoing investigations over corruption allegations relating to the management of public resources, while former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu was prosecuted and jailed over misappropriation of the iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people in the Karamoja Sub-region.
Another key issue is the stalled construction of the new parliamentary chambers, a project that has consumed billions of shillings over the years while legislators continue to operate from rented offices at a high cost to taxpayers. Mr Ssenyonyi has pledged to push for accountability for the delays and ensure the project is completed to reduce government expenditure on rent, arguing that the prolonged delay has become a symbol of wasteful public spending.
There also arises the task of uniting a fragmented Opposition, weakened by internal divisions and breakaway political groups.
The LoP is expected to bridge the differences and rally Opposition parties around a common agenda of accountability and democratic reforms. Whether the Opposition succeeds in restoring public confidence in Parliament by strengthening its oversight role, the image of the 12th Parliament will be tested ahead of the next electoral cycle.
SENYONYI’S PAST RECORD
Mr Ssenyonyi emerged as the LoP in 2024 after chairing the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase). During his tenure, Mr Ssenyonyi exposed irregular government expenditures in public institutions. He demanded scrutiny into the controversial Lubowa International Specialised Hospital project, where Parliament raised concerns over billions of taxpayers’ money injected into the project with little visible progress on the ground.
The hospital today remains unfinished.
He also became one of the strongest Opposition voices against the controversial coffee amendment proposals under the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, with all amendments. Though it was passed by Parliament on November 6, 2024, he was at the forefront against it. In 2023, under his leadership of Cosase, Mr Ssenyonyi scrutinised the operations, expenditures, and management of Uganda Airlines, questioned several transactions and the airline’s continued dependence on government bailouts.
Uganda Airlines CEO Jennifer Bamuturaki was later removed from her position in February 2026
Within Parliament, Mr Ssenyonyi and other Opposition MPs also took one of the toughest positions to censure the former Parliament Commissioner Mathias Mpuuga over the controversial Shs1.7 billion service awards. Although this created divisions within the Opposition, it earned Mr Ssenyonyi praise from sections of the public.