OPINION
As Uganda’s 11th Parliament winds down and the country prepares for the 12th Parliament after the January 2026 general elections, Speaker Anita Annet Among has rallied newly elected MPs at a Kyankwanzi retreat to prepare for fresh constitutional amendments. The headline proposal, extending the term of office for both Members of Parliament and the President from five years to seven — has reignited debate over Uganda’s electoral cycles.
This is not the first time such an extension has been attempted. In 2017, during the age-limit amendment process, Parliament tried to lengthen its own term, only for the Constitutional Court to strike it down on procedural grounds. Today, with Uganda still grappling with poor service delivery and unresponsive political actors, extending the electoral cycle risks further insulating leaders from accountability, weakening democratic renewal, and entrenching incumbency advantages in a country where power concentration has long raised concerns.
Uganda’s 1995 Constitution deliberately enshrined five-year terms as a safeguard against the institutional decay that plagued earlier regimes. Extending them now would compound the risks of entrenchment rather than solve governance challenges. Here is why the five-year cycle must remain.
1. Stronger Accountability to Voters
Shorter terms compel leaders to face the electorate more often, creating regular incentives for responsiveness. Frequent elections are a powerful accountability mechanism: voters can reward performance or punish failure before problems become entrenched. In Uganda, where Afrobarometer surveys highlight frustration with uneven service delivery, a seven-year window would only insulate leaders further from citizen pressure.
2. Reduced Risk of Power Concentration
Five-year cycles limit how long individuals or factions can consolidate control over state institutions, security forces, and patronage networks. Extending terms to seven years heightens the risk of incumbents becoming “indispensable,” eroding checks and balances.
3. Generational Renewal and Fresh Ideas
Shorter terms promote turnover, injecting new talent, diverse perspectives, and innovative approaches. Uganda’s youthful population , median age around 16–17 urgently needs leadership that reflects its energy and digital-era aspirations. Longer terms risk perpetuating elite continuity over bold generational change.
4. Less Entrenchment of Special Interests.
With elections on a tighter timetable, officials have less time to forge entrenched alliances with business elites or donors. Shorter cycles disrupt these patterns, fostering fairer competition and reducing incumbency advantages.
5. Pressure for Results
Leaders on shorter mandates feel greater urgency to deliver tangible outcomes early. In Uganda, where citizens demand improvements in roads, healthcare, education, and jobs, a five-year horizon forces results-oriented leadership. Frequent cycles enable iterative policy refinement through ongoing electoral feedback.
6. Alignment with Voter Preferences
Shorter terms keep policies aligned with evolving public opinion. Afrobarometer data shows strong public support for mechanisms that guarantee fresh leadership. Claims that seven-year terms provide “more time to implement” development plans risk ignoring mid-term discontent and extending unaccountable rule. Such a fundamental change must be decided directly by the people through a referendum — not merely by Parliament.
Uganda’s five-year cycle is not a flaw in need of fixing; it is a democratic guardrail. Extending it to seven years would tilt the balance toward executive and parliamentary insulation at the expense of citizen voice, institutional renewal, and long-term stability.
As a Ugandan committed to deepening multiparty democracy, I would campaign vigorously for the five-year term and insist that any proposed change be put to the people in a free, fair, and transparent referendum.
This is the evidence-based, citizen-centred conversation Uganda deserves as we shape the rules for the 12th Parliament and beyond.
By Morrison Rwakakamba, Coffee Farmer — Rukungiri
