Kampala, Uganda: Parliament of Uganda on Tuesday passed the contentious Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, following a tense and chaotic sitting marked by procedural disputes, time restrictions, and sharp exchanges between government and opposition lawmakers.
The session, chaired by Speaker Anita Among, saw the ruling side push through the Bill despite repeated attempts by the opposition, led by Leader of Opposition, Hon Joel Ssenyonyi, to halt or delay proceedings.
Moments before the debate commenced, Ssenyonyi challenged the legitimacy of the Bill, arguing that the version presented differed from the one previously tabled and was based on what he described as a “leaked” committee report.
However, Speaker Among dismissed the claims, insisting the report had been duly authenticated. “This report that was uploaded had my signature… I am the only one who can sanction documents to be uploaded,” she ruled.
This cleared the way for Wilson Kajwengye, co-chair of the joint committee, to present the majority report supporting the Bill.
Time Limits Trigger Opposition Outcry
Tensions escalated when the Speaker directed that all six minority reports be presented within 35 minutes, equivalent to the time used for the majority report.
Opposition MPs protested the directive, arguing it undermined their right to fully present dissenting views.
Jonathan Odur openly rejected the instruction: “When a member dissents singularly, the weight of the report demands equal time,” Odur argued.
Despite objections, opposition members were restricted to roughly five minutes each, with some presentations cut short.
Odur further accused committee leadership of stifling debate during earlier deliberations, describing the process as flawed.
His remarks were challenged by the Speaker, who ordered parts of his statement expunged from the official record.
Other opposition figures, including Wilfred Niwagaba and Betty Nambooze, also protested the limited time and alleged marginalisation. “The 11th Parliament should not behave as if it is the last… there will be others,” Nambooze warned.
She further claimed that the committee process had overlooked key submissions, noting that while 57 memoranda were cited, over 700 had reportedly been received.
Debate on the minority reports was repeatedly disrupted by noise from the government side, with claims that opposition microphones were inaudible.
Sarah Opendi raised concern on the floor: “There is a lot of noise… we can’t hear what she is reading,” she said, calling for order.
Bill Passed Amid Controversy
Despite the protests, the majority side maintained control of proceedings, enabling passage of the Bill. The chaotic sitting highlighted deep divisions within the House, with opposition MPs maintaining that their views were not adequately considered.
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