Kampala: Parliament has endorsed the composition of special interest groups ahead of the 2026 electoral cycle. The approval follows a review of the representation of these groups in accordance with the Constitution and the Parliamentary Elections Act.
According to African Press Organization, during a plenary sitting, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Nobert Mao, emphasized that special interest groups were previously excluded from participating in Uganda's governance on equal terms. The review process, conducted ahead of the 2021 general elections, introduced the category of older persons representatives in Parliament. Parliament is required, under Article 78(2) of the Constitution, to review this representation every five years, and the current review is timely as the last was conducted in October 2020.
Legal provisions specify the representation of district or city women, ensuring one woman representative in Parliament for every district and city. They also outline the representation for special interest groups, including 10 Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) representatives, with at least two women, and five workers representatives, with at least one woman. Provisions for youth and persons with disabilities are also included.
Legislators have urged the government to ensure proper representation of special interest groups in other national leadership roles. Hon. Sarah Opendi highlighted the inadequate representation of women on the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) board, urging the Attorney General to ensure equitable representation of women in agency boards.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has tasked the Attorney General with addressing the representation issue on the NIRA board and reporting back to the House. Hon. Alex Ndeezi called for an audit on the representation of persons with disabilities in different agency boards, stressing the need for actions to implement constitutional provisions for fair representation.
Erute County South MP, Hon. Jonathan Odur, urged the government to consider increasing female representatives in the UPDF by adopting a one-third strategy and called for regional representation of Workers MPs. Odur also emphasized tracking the progress of legislators who enter Parliament through affirmative action to assess their political advancement.