Who is Jacob Marksons Oboth?

He led the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges in the 9th Parliament, and later chaired the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee in the 10th. “He is serious with his work, and he gives good direction. He is very knowledgeable about the law. He is humorous and has his way around the members. Even then, he will meet his targets. Plus, he stood out to me as an honest man,” Ms Robina Gureme Rwakoojo, who deputised him on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, said. Born and bred in Tororo District, Mr Oboth-Oboth rose from a tough childhood to become a lawyer and Intellectual Property expert. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Law Development Centre, and a master’s degree in election and cyber law from the University of Minnesota, US.

He also earned a Certificate in Management from Uganda Management Institute. His academic journey began at Tororo High School (1995–1997) and continued at Dennis Sebugwao School. Information from The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA) shows his most recent deployment was as deputy attorney general of the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution, before joining the government as a State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, based in Mbale. While pursuing his Master’s degree in the United States, he built bridges with allies and donors who later invested in his election bid, including initiating projects in his constituency. He threw his hat into the political ring in the 2011 elections. On his first attempt, he trounced then‑State minister for Labour, Dr Emmanuel Otaala, to represent West Budama South, a seat he held through the 11th Parliament.

He became the first legislator to win a second successive term in his constituency since 1996. In the 2026 elections, he switched to the newly-created West Budama Central. Mr Oboth-Oboth served his first two terms on the Independent ticket but worked hand in glove with the NRM, chairing committees along the way. During this time, he was praised yet also viewed with suspicion by both government and Opposition. In a 2020 article, “Oboth-Oboth, the accidental politician,” he told this publication that such suspicion was simply a reflection of his objectivity. But his inclinations often showed through the cracks. In 2017, he spearheaded the Committee that endorsed the removal of the presidential age limit, one of the most defining and polarising moments for the country.

The Constitution Amendment Act of 2017, which amended Article 102(b), allowed President Museveni free rein to run for office beyond 75. Yet, while many of the frontline proponents of the law were shown the door in the 2021 elections, Oboth-Oboth bounced back. He officially joined the yellow party in the run‑up to the 2021 elections. No sooner had he joined the NRM than he set his sights on the leadership of Parliament. Mr Oboth-Oboth first threw his hat into the ring in 2021, bidding for the position of Deputy Speaker. He, however, stepped aside when the party chose Ms Among. In 2022, he raised the stakes, this time aiming for the Speaker’s chair following the death of Jacob Oulanyah.

Again, the NRM preferred Ms Among, pairing her with Thomas Tayebwa to steer the 11th Parliament. Instead, President Museveni tapped Oboth-Oboth to serve in the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs; first as State minister for General Duties in 2021, before promoting him to full minister in 2024, in a Cabinet reshuffle that ushered PLU members into the fold. At the time, however, there was no clear sign that Mr Oboth-Oboth was in PLU’s good books, even though he worked closely with its chairperson, Gen Kainerugaba.

The two, nonetheless, enjoyed a cordial working relationship. In 2024, Muhoozi was the special guest at Mr Oboth-Oboth’s thanksgiving ceremony in Tororo. In his speech, Gen Muhoozi praised Mr Oboth-Oboth for his “flexibility and accommodating methods of work”. He then tasked him with ensuring the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) was well represented in Parliament. “One of your most important roles is to act as our representative in government. We are very sure you’ll represent the interests of UPDF in Cabinet and Parliament very well. We do not expect any issues on that front with you as minister,” Gen Muhoozi said. As Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mr Oboth-Oboth was charged with formulating national defence policies, overseeing the UPDF, and safeguarding the welfare of military veterans.

In May 2025, Mr Oboth-Oboth tabled the UPDF Amendment Act, which sought to improve soldiers’ welfare and reintroduced the trial of civilians in military courts. Fast forward to 2026, as the race for Speaker took on many twists and turns, Gen Muhoozi was the first to toss Mr Oboth-Oboth’s name into the hat. Mr Oboth-Oboth himself had not yet expressed interest when he received the endorsement on May 15. “He is the best minister we have had,” Gen Muhoozi posted on X. At his thanksgiving ceremony that followed on May 16 in Mukono, Mr Oboth-Oboth accepted PLU’s endorsement, saying his leadership has always been rooted in servant leadership and humility. In earlier campaigns in 2021, he had also expressed confidence that his competence, integrity, and wealth of experience made him the best candidate for parliamentary leadership.

Ms Lydia Wanyoto, the Woman MP for Mbale City, who dropped out of the race, agreed: “We were many people who were interested in the speakership because we thought we should change the leadership of Parliament. But when Oboth-Oboth came up, most of us were persuaded to leave because we had a good candidate,” she said. “The tradition has been that Deputy Speakers and Speakers have been chairing the Legal and Parliamentary Committee. That’s the training ground. He ideally should be a good parliamentary leader because of the grooming at the committee level,” she added. Ms Jessica Alupo, while nominating Ms Oboth-Oboth, yesterday described him as one with a deep understanding of constitutional governance, parliamentary procedure, rule of law, legislative drafting, and conflict resolution.

“He is knowledgeable in law, parliamentary procedures and processes, and is a fair, firm, and strong communicator, bold and decisive, goal‑oriented, even-tempered, resilient, and emotionally intelligent. Those characteristics will enable him to easily command this august House. He will maintain order, facilitate debate, enforce rules of procedure, navigate governance issues, make firm, decisive, sound, and rational decisions, manage crises that may arise, and navigate complex political and diplomatic relations,” Mr Frank Tumwebaze, who seconded his nomination, said.

Mr Oboth-Oboth’s standing as a leader now faces its biggest test, as the 12th Parliament must climb a steep hill to shed the shadow of the 11th, a House branded not only as a rubber stamp for the Executive but also as one riddled with maladministration. Speaking shortly after assuming the Speaker’s chair, Mr Oboth-Oboth pledged to run a corruption‑free Parliament, committed to oversight and independence. “I pledge a corruption-free Parliament. Under my leadership, we will cultivate a culture of absolute integrity and zero tolerance to corruption. Accountability begins with us. In the next five years, we will hold the Executive and other government bodies accountable,” he said.