The Parliament has taken the first step toward changing how the Leader of Opposition (LoP) is selected after granting Buyaga West MP Dennis Namara leave to introduce the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The private member’s bill was approved through a voice vote after it was formally moved and seconded on the floor of Parliament.
If enacted, the proposed legislation would scrap the current system under which the Leader of Opposition is appointed by the largest opposition party represented in Parliament.
The position is currently held by Joel Ssenyonyi of the National Unity Platform.
Under the proposed changes, the Leader of Opposition would instead be elected by all opposition Members of Parliament together with independent MPs, a move supporters say would make the process more inclusive and democratic.
The bill also proposes changes to the selection of parliamentary commissioners and the leadership of parliamentary committees as part of broader reforms to Parliament’s administrative structure.
Namara, who is affiliated with the National Resistance Movement and the Patriotic League of Uganda, says the proposed amendments are intended to strengthen accountability and enhance multiparty democracy within Parliament.
The proposal has already generated political discussion, coming weeks after some leaders within the Patriotic League of Uganda publicly called for the replacement of Joel Ssenyonyi as Leader of Opposition.
Should the bill become law, it would significantly alter the process of selecting the Leader of Opposition and could reshape the balance of power among opposition parties in Uganda’s Parliament.
Yesterday in @Parliament_Ug while presenting a motion seeking leave of Parliament to prepare the motion for the amendment of Administration of Parliament Act. This bill will empower MPs of Opposition to have a say on who leads them but also enhance accountability within the… pic.twitter.com/TtoxN20neo
— Hon Namara Dennis (@NamaraDennisMP) July 9, 2026
