By our Reporter,
KAMPALA,
OPINION
As the clock ticks toward the 2026 general elections, Uganda finds itself once again at the familiar political theatre.
The flags flying, manifestos rebranded with cosmetic urgency and the perennial amnesia of voters settling in like morning fog over the lake. But before we think of spilling the ink on the next ballot, let’s treat this like the end of a school term where Members of parliament must present their performance report cards, not their wallets or generosity tokens.
If a child must present satisfactory grades to proceed to the next class, why should an MP be rewarded with another term after a report card filled with absences, excuses and theatrical debates that amount to zero impact?
Uganda’s 11th parliament was sworn in May 2021, and it boasts of 529 Members of parliament which is the largest in East Africa. But the biggest question is; do we have more legislators or spectators?
Article 79 of the Constitution of Uganda clearly spells out the functions of parliament to wit; legislation, oversight and budget approval. I’m here to make a clarion call that let’s hold our leaders to that. We need to individually ask ourselves; how many private members’ bills has your MP tabled?
What budget debates has your legislator shaped to benefit your community? What committee reports bear their signature or presence? If our answer sounds like “I don’t know,” chances are your MP doesn’t know either.
According to the parliamentary records, by July 2024, the 11th parliament had passed 62 bills, with many lacking public scrutiny and analyses. This shows that a worrying number of legislators are mere seat- fillers and MPs by name, not by contribution.
I can’t imagine that a country whose GDP per capita hovers around $964 according to the World Bank 2023 can surely not afford a bloated parliament whose annual budget exceeds Shs 700bn.
Surprisingly, mostly this is consumed through huge allowances, luxurious vehicles and benchmarking trips that produce little more than selfies and receipts from shopping stores or malls.
If any MP dares to say that, “But the numbers are too many, so I couldn’t perform,” the solution is simple then, let’s go for a surgical reduction of the size! Why pay 500+ MPs if only it is a handful who speak, legislate and hold the Executive accountable?
Our political culture now suffers a chronic addiction to populism and tokenism. Many MPs have successfully repackaged incompetence as generosity, throwing sugar, soap and funeral envelopes at communities in exchange for votes.
A generous person should only lead a community-based organization (CBO) or an NGO to help the needy. She/He’s nice, she/he gave us sugar.” Really? That does not qualify them to legislate complex fiscal policies or interrogate international loan agreements!
To those who vote basing on tokens, you are the political equivalent of rats which feed on poisoned gnuts; momentarily full, eternally doomed. As the bible says in Proverbs 22:7, “The borrower is slave to the lender.”
Every MP you vote for without intellect adds to your slavery in form of debts you didn’t authorize, policies you don’t understand and silence you didn’t anticipate! How can you conclude that a best dancer equally makes a good surgeon? We need competence in parliament, not showbiz!
We expect doctors, engineers, teachers and lawyers to uphold professional standards. Why exempt MPs from the same expectation, especially when they are some of the highest paid public officials?
I want to unapologetically underscore that parliament is for the eloquent. We must know that communication in parliament isn’t a luxury, it’s a requirement. MPs who cannot read, write and argue legislation in English which is the official language of the house, are as helpful as a candle in a windstorm.
If your MP doesn’t speak, doesn’t understand procedure or needs interpreters for every clause, they belong at a seminar, not in a legislative chamber. Yes, numbers matter, but unless one speaks intelligible words with their tongue, how will anyone know what they are saying?” parliament must be a sanctuary for thought, not mediocrity wrapped in loyalty.
It must be a fortress for reasoned debate, people-centered budgeting and laws that defend the voiceless and downtrodden. What is the purpose of having 500 MPs if we still suffer unsafe roads, mismanaged hospitals and borrowed billions to aide projects like ROKO or Lubowa hospital?
If we are to save Uganda from perpetual economic ICU, let us reward ideas, not t-shirts. Therefore in 2026, ask your MP for a report card, not a handshake. Let the next parliament be lean, impactful, and literate.
The time of mascot legislators must end. This time, let wisdom lead the way for both those in government and in the opposition because parliamentary debate demands linguistic precision, conceptual clarity, and procedural mastery, not chants and slogans.
elvisnsonyi@gmail.com
The author is a practitioner in human rights, dialogue, mediation and conflict resolution.
