Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth has cautioned Members of Parliament serving on accountability committees against using parliamentary oversight to target individuals or settle political scores, urging them to uphold fairness, professionalism and integrity.
The Speaker made the remarks while closing a two-day induction for Members of Parliament serving on the Public Accounts Committees at the Imperial Golf View Hotel in Entebbe on Friday, 24 July 2026.
Oboth said the primary responsibility of the accountability committees is to protect public resources and strengthen citizens' confidence in government institutions.
"Your duty is not to hunt individuals nor to settle political scores. Your duty is to restore public confidence that government resources are used for the purposes approved by Parliament," Oboth said.
He urged legislators to conduct oversight with fairness, independence, professionalism and timeliness, emphasizing that the effectiveness of the committees should be measured by improvements in public service delivery rather than the number of reports produced or witnesses summoned.
The Speaker warned that delayed accountability weakens Parliament's oversight role and called on committee members to base their findings on credible evidence, free from political influence.
Oboth also challenged Parliament to demonstrate the same standards of integrity and accountability that it expects from public officials.
He noted that unresolved audit queries often result in poor service delivery and undermine public trust in government institutions.
"When the people of Uganda entrust us with the responsibility to oversee their resources, what exactly are they placing in our hands?... They are placing in our hands their trust," Oboth said.
The Public Accounts Committees play a central role in Parliament's oversight mandate by scrutinising government expenditure and reviewing audit reports to ensure that public funds are used for the purposes approved by Parliament.
