Speaker of Parliament Jacobo Oboth Oboth has directed incoming legislators to abandon hearsay and unverified social media content, urging them to anchor parliamentary debates strictly on factual evidence as the 12th Parliament prepares for its full term.
The directive was issued during a high level induction retreat for Members of Parliament-elect at the Speak Resort in Munyonyo, where lawmakers gathered to sharpen their legislative skills ahead of the new parliamentary session.
"I expect that after this induction, when you rise to speak, you will speak from facts. You will have evidence. You will not be bringing a WhatsApp discussion or fake news into parliament," Among told the legislators, according to sources present at the retreat.
Oboth emphasized that well-researched contributions would command respect even from government leadership. "You will speak, and even if the Prime Minister does not like what you are speaking, she will say, I have nothing useful to add. Because it is fact, evidence-based, well-researched," He stated.
The Speaker stressed Parliament's responsibility to prioritize citizens' needs through its legislative agenda. "Because we have a whole department of research for people-centered legislation by prioritizing the needs, voices, and aspirations of the citizens in all parliamentary activities," she said.
In a significant move on financial accountability, Oboth revealed that he had redirected funds from his office to facilitate parliamentary committees facing a Shs 10 billion deficit. "I said the Speaker should not be facilitated to donate money when committees don't have," he explained.
In her speach, Prime Minister Robbina Nabanja, called for proactive oversight of government programs, urging legislators not to wait for postmortem audits. "We should not be waiting for Auditor General's report. We are going to disrupt some of these things," she declared.
Nabanja identified key government flagship programs requiring parliamentary scrutiny, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyoga, roads, and health infrastructure.
Addressing media freedom, Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi advocated for press freedom noting that media outlets holds the acountable. "Today the same media houses that belong to Nation Media Group being shut down arbitrarily because they are holding us leaders accountable.
Responding to this, the speaker promised media freedom to all media house.
The induction retreat comes as the 12th Parliament prepares to navigate an increasingly complex political landscape, with increasing arrests of opposition politicians and human rights activists.
As legislators return to their constituencies, the Speaker's message underscores a renewed push for institutional integrity and evidence-based governance in Uganda's legislature.
