The newly sworn-in Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament for Rukiga Hon Sylvia Alinaitwe Tumuheirwe has disclosed a clear pledge to make Boy child empowerment a central focus of her first year in office.
While speaking to journalists after her swearing-in ceremony, Dr Alinaitwe who was accompanied by her husband and their mothers, stressed that Uplifting of boys as an essential elemet for building stronger families and communities.
She noted that society cannot have a healthy society if a Boy child is left behind and for too long, the boy child has been overlooked in conversations about empowerment and mentorship.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Clerk to Parliament has announced that about 184 Members of Parliament have been sworn in on the first day and these included Hon Enos Asiimwe Kinywamacunda, the Member of Parliament for Kabula County and Gen Moses Ali who were earlier sworm within the Parliament Chambers by the Clerk to Parliament Hon Adolf Mwesigye .
Meanwhile a total of 184 Members of Parliament took oath to mark the start of the 12th Parliament amidst pomp and dance at Parliamentary Building and the swearing in of new legislators will end on Friday 15th May 2026 in preparation for the first sitting of the 12th Parliament on 25th May 2026.
Among the Members of Parliament who took oath was the Speaker Rt Hon Anita Annet Among, accompanied by her husband, Moses Magogo Hassim and these were accompanied by a host of Members-elect from their respective regions.
Speaker Among used the occasion to thank voters for entrusting her with leadership and urged the new legislators to dedicate themselves to service delivery and also commended security agencies for maintaining peace and stability in the country.
She referred to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s message to leaders and reminded MPs that the new term would require hard work and close attention to the local person.
After Speaker Among took oath, she was followed by her husband Hon Magogo, Patrick Opolot representing Kachumbala County in Bukedea district and David Beecham Okwer representing Bukedea County.
Upon taking oath, the MPs, sign the oath book, take an official picture and provide their biometrics, before proceeding to talk to waiting representatives of the media.
The Prime Minister and Leader of Government Business, Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja who is the Kakumiro District Woman Member of Parliament, officially closed the morning session on the opening day of the swearing-in ceremony for new Members of Parliament.
Rt Hon Nabbanja, attributed her political journey to President Museveni, whom she credited for identifying her leadership potential at a young age.
“I am what I am because of the President Museveni. He identified me when I was still a young woman at the age of 26,” Rt Hon Nabbanja revealed.
Rt Hon Nabbanja said the fight against poverty would remain central in the new parliamentary term, especially through the Parish Development Model (PDM) and defended her record in office, pointing to increased monitoring of government programmes and infrastructure projects across the country.
She was followed by the Vice President, Maj Jessica Alupo Epel the Katakwi District Woman Member of Parliament.
The colourful event blended official protocol with celebration, as cultural troupe Crane Performance entertained guests with traditional music and dance performances featuring drums, xylophones, adungu and multicultural dances from different regions of the country.
Newly sworn-in legislators paused to take photographs with family members and supporters before speaking to the press about their priorities for the new parliamentary term, with many pledging to focus on poverty alleviation, household income and service delivery.
The Kinkinzi County East Member of Parliament Hon Dr Chris Baryomunsi noted that the swearing in marked yet another milestone in a long parliamentary career and pledged to intensify efforts in expanding access to safe water, healthcare, decent housing and education, while also supporting wealth creation initiatives while Hon Anne Adeke Ebaju, the Soroti District Woman Representative, said the 12th Parliament should talk about transition from the current regime to the next one.
The former Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga who is the Kamuli District Woman Representative said that she would continue focusing on ongoing development projects in her constituency, including industrial parks, education and infrastructure development.
“We are just continuing the work we have been doing, especially on construction and industrial development,” Kadaga said.
She noted that several projects in the area were progressing well, including the airport project expected to be opened this year and welcomed President Museveni’s “Kisanja no sleep” message, saying leaders must respond to gaps in service delivery identified during the campaigns.
