Speaker of Parliament Jacob Markson Oboth-Oboth has ordered a 45-day review of a proposed law seeking to change how Uganda’s Leader of Opposition is elected, supervised and removed, setting the stage for a major political and parliamentary debate that could affect Joel Ssenyonyi’s position.

The proposed Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Buyaga West MP Denis Namara, seeks to introduce significant changes to the current arrangement, under which the opposition political party with the largest number of MPs in Parliament has the authority to elect the Leader of Opposition.

Under the proposed changes, all opposition Members of Parliament, including those belonging to smaller political parties and independent legislators, would participate in electing the Leader of Opposition. This would significantly change the existing system and expand the number of legislators involved in determining who occupies the influential parliamentary office currently held by Joel Ssenyonyi.

The Bill also proposes giving opposition MPs a bigger role in approving the Shadow Cabinet, selecting opposition representatives to parliamentary leadership positions and introducing additional grounds under which the Leader of Opposition could be removed from office. These proposals could reshape how the opposition organises itself and holds its parliamentary leadership accountable.

However, before the Bill can proceed to the next stage, Speaker Oboth-Oboth has referred it to the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for detailed examination. The decision followed concerns about whether the proposed legislation had satisfied the financial and constitutional requirements necessary for a Private Member’s Bill.

During Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting, Namara argued that the Finance Minister had failed to respond to a request for a Certificate of Financial Implications within the required 60 days. He maintained that the certificate should therefore be considered issued under the Public Finance Management Act. However, another MP raised questions about whether the Bill could proceed under Article 93 of the Constitution, which restricts certain legislation involving public expenditure and government finances.

The committee will now have 45 days to examine the outstanding legal questions and seek guidance from the Attorney General and the Finance Minister before reporting back to Parliament. Oboth-Oboth clarified that the Bill had only undergone its first reading and had not yet reached the second reading stage.

With the proposed amendments potentially changing the balance of power among opposition MPs, Joel Ssenyonyi’s position and the future organisation of the opposition in Parliament have become part of the wider debate. However, the Bill has not yet become law, and its eventual impact will depend on the committee’s findings and Parliament’s subsequent decisions.