KAMPALA – Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has acknowledged that the country’s current energy output falls short of industrial demands, making it imperative to rapidly scale up investments in solar and nuclear energy.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Prime Minister made the remarks on Tuesday during the induction seminar for Members of the 12th Parliament at Speke Resort Munyonyo, as legislators prepare for the official start of the 2026–2031 term.
Nabbanja painted a sweeping picture of Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation, revealing that the economy had grown from US$3.9 billion in 1986 to US$69.3 billion, propelling the nation from least developed to lower middle-income status.
She acknowledged, however, that the country’s energy capacity still lags behind industrialisation needs, and stressed the importance of diversifying into solar and nuclear power.
The Prime Minister framed the ultimate goal as transforming economic growth into tangible prosperity for every household while pursuing a qualitative leap to upper middle-income status.
“The task before us is to ensure that this economic growth produces jobs, better household incomes, and prosperity. Our energy capacity as a country remains insufficient for industrialization. So I call upon us to have smooth deliberations on how to expand the energy mix to include solar and nuclear. The next task is to make a qualitative leap to upper middle-income status,” Nabbanja noted.
Speaker Jacob Oboth unveiled a seven-point vision for the 12th Parliament, pledging a decisive break from past controversies and emphasizing the Speaker’s chair as a servant’s post, not a throne.
He pledged to prioritize zero tolerance for corruption, strengthened accountability, evidence-based and people-centered legislation, results-based budgeting, an open Parliament, and proactive oversight of government programmes.
The Speaker further cautioned legislators against unethical conduct, reminding them that accountability begins with them and that the citizenry holds huge expectations of the new Parliament.
“The citizenry of Uganda has huge expectations of the 12th Parliament. Don’t ask for payment for trips you have not undertaken, don’t sign in the book of attendance when you did not attend the committee sitting, don’t get money for field trips where you have not been,” Oboth remarked.
Opposition Leader Joel Ssenyonyi challenged the new Parliament to focus on safeguarding its independence, protecting meaningful debate, and ensuring equal accountability for all public office holders.
He stressed that public resources are the people’s property, not the government’s or Parliament’s, and therefore every shilling spent must be accounted for with utmost responsibility.
“We have a big role to safeguard the independence of Parliament, protect meaningful debate, and defend accountability equally, irrespective of the office holder. Public resources belong neither to government nor to Parliament. They belong to the people of Uganda,” Ssenyonyi asserted.
Legal expert Abdu Katuntu reminded MPs that Parliament must effectively balance its role within the separation of powers, warning that weakness invites executive overreach while excessive confrontation paralyzes governance.
He emphasized that effective governance requires Parliament to collaborate with the Executive without surrendering its independence, and to oversee without obstructing progress.
The 12th Parliament opens with a pledge for tangible results and Speaker-led structural reforms to tackle logistical hurdles posed by its 529-member bloat while ensuring transparency and efficiency.
If you have a developing story, tip-off, or eyewitness account, reach out to our editorial team today.
📧 Email: westernpearlmedia@gmail.com
📞 Telephone / WhatsApp: +256 783 650 398
Let’s tell your story together—because every voice deserves to be heard.
About the Author
