Parliament has concluded a comprehensive five-day induction seminar designed to equip legislators and cabinet ministers with the core values and legislative procedures required to execute their constitutional mandates.
The training retreat, which ran from June 30 to July 4, 2026, at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, targeted lawmakers serving in the 12th Parliament for the 2026–2031 term.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, opened the seminar and challenged the politicians to prioritize the needs of ordinary citizens.
Rt Hon. Oboth-Oboth urged the legislators to uphold absolute integrity, embrace evidence-based legislation, and promote results-oriented budgeting throughout their five-year tenure.
The second day of the induction shifted focus toward national security, featuring a keynote presentation on Parliament’s strategic role in defense and national stability.
The Joint Staff Political Commissariat and UPDF Representative in Parliament, Maj Gen Henry Matsiko, delivered the defense address on behalf of the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
Maj Gen Matsiko reminded lawmakers that the 1995 Constitution establishes Parliament as the supreme civilian authority responsible for regulating the armed forces.
He explained that civilian oversight ensures the security sector remains transparent while balancing defensive military capabilities with democratic governance.
“Article 210 empowers Parliament to make laws regulating the UPDF, including its structure, recruitment, discipline, terms and conditions of service, as well as the deployment of troops outside Uganda,” Maj Gen Matsiko stated.
The military general noted that Parliament plays a critical role in scrutinizing defense expenditures and holding security institutions accountable to safeguard human rights.
He praised the UPDF's historical track record in defeating internal insurgencies and securing successive national electoral processes to maintain peace since 1995.
“Whereas Parliament, through its law-making role, establishes national values and norms, those values and norms must be preserved and defended by the defense and security forces,” Maj Gen Matsiko added.
Uganda’s 12th Parliament comprises a total of 555 members, including a dedicated 10-member institutional bloc representing the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces.
The UPDF parliamentary deployment includes Lt Gen Sam Okiding, Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, Lt Gen James Mugira, and Maj Gen Henry Matsiko.
The military representation also features Maj Gen James Kinalwa, Maj Gen Joseph Ssemwanga, Brig David Robert Gonyi, Col Sylvia Meeme, Col Christine Nekesa, and Col Night Ikiriza.
