Jacob Oboth-Oboth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda | |
| Assumed office 25 May 2026 | |
| President | Yoweri Kaguta Museveni |
| Preceded by | Anita Annet Among |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jacob Oboth-Oboth (1971-04-13) 13 April 1971 |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Party | National Resistance Movement |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician |
Known for | Law, politics |
Jacob Marksons Oboth (born 13 April 1971), commonly known as Jacob Oboth-Oboth, is a Ugandan lawyer and politician serving as the Speaker of the 12th Parliament of Uganda.1 He is the Member of Parliament for West Budama County South and a member of the National Resistance Movement since 2011.2 He also served as the State Minister for Defence from 2024 to 2026.3
In Parliament, Oboth-Oboth has chaired several committees, including the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, and the Committee on Natural Resources.456
Early life and education
Oboth-Oboth was born in Tororo District Eastern Uganda, on 13 April 1971 in an Anglican family. A down-to-earth person, he did odd jobs to make ends meet in his childhood. From fetching water for a fee for locals to store keeping, he did it all. He attended Muwafu Primary School for his primary school education and St. Denis Ssebugwawo Secondary School for his O-level academic qualifications.
At one time, Oboth-Oboth was picked up by American missionaries from Tororo streets after being sent away from school for lack of tuition. It was a difficult time for him but during his time with the missionaries, he worked as a store keeper on top of doing other petty jobs for two years before joining Tororo High School for his A-Level education. Oboth-Oboth was admitted to Makerere University in 1997 to study Law. Subsequently, he enrolled for a management certificate course at Uganda Management Institute.
In 2001, Oboth-Oboth graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree and then in 2002, he acquired a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from Law Development Centre. In 2004, he acquired two certifications from the International Development Law Organization; one in Intellectual Property and another in Public Procurement. He also has a Master of Law degree (2007) in election and cyber law from the University of Minnesota.327
Career
After graduating as a lawyer, Oboth-Oboth served as the Deputy Attorney General for Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution.8 He also secured employment in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs as a state attorney. He worked in Mbale for some time as the State Attorney Mbale Regional Office before going to the United States to pursue a master's degree in election and cyber law at the University of Minnesota.
Upon his return in 2007, Oboth-Oboth resumed his work in government until 2010 when he resigned to join active politics. His stay in the US had enabled him to acquire donors who offered to initiate projects in his constituency, and that in a way helped sway voters to his side. He found it easy to reach out to the poor in his constituency because he was seen as one of them.9
Jacob Oboth-Oboth was first elected as West Budama South MP (Independent) in 2011 after defeating the then State Minister for Labor, Dr Emmanuel Otaala, who subsequently but unsuccessfully challenged his victory in the Courts of law. He retained his seat in 2016 after polling 20,653 votes against the NRM candidate, Phibby Awere Otaala's 19, 462 votes. Oboth-Oboth set the record for being the first legislator to be elected for a second successive term in this constituency which had not re-elected an incumbent MP to Parliament since 1996.210
In the 9th Parliament, Oboth-Oboth was the chairperson of the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and the parliamentary ad hoc committee to investigate the electricity sub-sector; the Committee on Natural Resources. In the 10th Parliament, he is the chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and a member of the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and the Business Committee.311
On Friday, 15 May 2026, CDF Muhoozi Kainerugaba and members of his Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) endorsed Oboth-Oboth for Speaker of the 12th Parliament of Uganda, withdrawing their support from incumbent Anita Among.1213 Further still, on Saturday, 23rd May 2026, the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) also approved Jacob Oboth-Oboth as the candidate for the Speaker of the 12th parliament of Uganda.14
References
References
- Independent, The (25 May 2026). "🟥LIVE: Oboth-Oboth is Speaker of the 12th Parliament". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- "Meet aspirants vying for Speaker job". New Vision.
- "Mr. OBOTH MARKSONS JACOB". Parliament of Uganda.
- "Committee". Parliament of Uganda.
- "Kasule: Why independent MPs joined us". The Insider.
- "MPs Receive Riot Act On Dress, Eating Habits". Daily Monitor. 16 January 2021.
- "Resources for Researching Country Conditions". University of Minnesota.
- "Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution". New Vision.
- "NBS Just asking - Jacob Oboth Oboth MP, West Budama South". YouTube.
- "15 hospitalized after Tororo campaign clashes". New Vision. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- "Cabinet plots to throw out energy report". Daily Monitor. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- Nymy Net, Authors (16 May 2026). "When are MPs Electing Speaker of the 12th Parliament in Uganda 2026? - Nymy Net". Nymy Net. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- Reporter, Kalisho (15 May 2026). "Gen. Muhoozi Endorses Oboth-Oboth for Speaker as Anita Among's Grip on Parliament Weakens". Kalisho Info. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- "CEC gives nod to Oboth-Oboth, Tayebwa". Monitor. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 23 May 2026.