Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has asked the Commonwealth Secretariat to support Uganda’s Parliament with capacity-building, digitalisation and exchanges with other Commonwealth legislatures.
Tayebwa made the request on Wednesday during a meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who was making her first official visit to Uganda since taking office. Botchwey, who is in Uganda from October 7 to 9, was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Adonia Ayebare.
Botchwey said her visit was intended to understand how Parliament is fulfilling its accountability mandate and explore areas where the Commonwealth can support Uganda.
Tayebwa said Parliament needs support to strengthen the capacity of Members of Parliament and staff, as well as to digitise parliamentary processes.
“We need capacity building of our Members of Parliament so that we can effectively debate critical issues. Also, digitisation is very important for an effective Parliament, and we would like to get support,” Tayebwa said.
He said the Commonwealth Secretariat could organise study visits and exchanges for Ugandan MPs and parliamentary staff to learn from other legislatures and adapt practices that could improve parliamentary work.
The Commonwealth has identified institutional strengthening and sharing of experiences among member states as areas of support during Botchwey’s visit to Uganda.
Botchwey pledged to work with Parliament on the issues raised by Tayebwa, saying Parliament can play a stronger role in Uganda’s democratisation, accountability and promotion of liberties.
She also said one of her priorities is to make the Commonwealth more relevant to young people, who make up a large proportion of the population across member states.
The discussions included ways of making the Commonwealth more relevant to ordinary citizens, including promoting education, entrepreneurship, youth skilling, dialogue among young people and climate adaptation.
Parliament's Oversight Role
On the performance of Parliament, Tayebwa said the House was effectively carrying out its oversight role by holding the Executive accountable.
He said both ruling-party and opposition MPs participate in oversight, citing the leadership of accountability committees by opposition legislators and the opportunity given to opposition MPs to raise issues on the floor of Parliament.
Opposition Chief Whip Paul Mwiru, who also attended the meeting, said the 12th Parliament was cultivating what he described as a culture of mutual respect between the government and Opposition sides.
He said opposition legislators had been given space and resources to perform their oversight duties.
“The atmosphere is that we can raise anything. We are on the right trajectory...the room exists for us to raise the issues,” Mwiru said.
“I want to thank the office of the Speaker because the oversight committees are now working very well; they are being facilitated,” he added.
Botchwey welcomed the participation of the Opposition in parliamentary business, saying a vibrant Opposition is an important component of parliamentary democracy.
The engagement comes as Commonwealth member states prepare for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled for November 1–4 in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s visit to Uganda is part of engagements ahead of the meeting and includes discussions on strengthening institutions, resilience and sustainable development.
