Uganda: 11th Parliament Begins Final Session with Spotlight on Legislative Legacy
The 11th Parliament on Thursday, 05 June, 2025 entered its final session, with Speaker Anita Among declaring the House a 'people-centred legislature' that will leave an indelible mark on the country's governance and development landscape.
Speaking during the opening of the fifth session held at Kololo ceremonial grounds, Speaker Among delivered a message of resolve and pride, highlighting an ambitious legislative record and the Parliament's expanding role in national affairs.
She said that Parliament will continue to prioritise the agenda of the Executive.
'Today marks the beginning of the final year of the 11th Parliament. I will state without any fear of contradiction that this Parliament has been the epitome of the people-cantered legislature,' she said.
AUDIO: Speaker Anita Among
In the past year alone, Parliament held 75 plenary sittings, passed 35 bills, concluded three petitions, adopted 53 reports, and passed 45 resolutions. Among described the output as 'outstanding,' noting its responsiveness, efficiency, and legislative weight.
Among the bills passed were major reforms touching nearly every sector education, agriculture, infrastructure, labour, and tax policy.
The Appropriation Bills 2024 and 2025, the Higher Education Students Financing (Amendment) Bill, and the Uganda People's Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill were singled out for their strategic national importance.
'These laws are intended to foster private sector growth, rationalise pension management and improve service delivery,' she said.
Among also noted a symbolic moment of the 11th Parliament's term as being its historic regional sitting in Gulu City which she described as a landmark in civic engagement.
'During the fourth session, the Parliament of Uganda held its first ever regional sitting at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City… We take this opportunity to thank you for gracing the opening of that historic sitting,' she said.
The session addressed issues specific to Northern Uganda and involved direct community engagement, signalling a potential new model for inclusive governance.
Among acknowledged turbulence along the way including the deaths of two sitting MPs, Hon. Sarah Mateke and Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya.
Speaker Among also announced that at least eight MPs had crossed party lines in recent months, most notably from the opposition National Unity Platform and Forum for Democratic Change to either the ruling National Resistance Movement or the newly formed Democratic Front.
'We wish the members well in the exercise of their freedom of association as prescribed in Article 29 of the Constitution of Uganda, which we so do uphold,' she noted, hinting at the pre-election realignments beginning to shape the political landscape.
As Uganda prepares for general elections in 2026, the Speaker closed with a commitment to national transformation.
'We undertake that the fifth session will remain steadfast in effectively executing its mandate in furtherance to the national Vision 2040 that aims in transforming Uganda into a modern and prosperous nation within 30 years,' she said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
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