Understanding How Parliament Committees Work in Uganda

The engines of legislation, oversight, and accountability

When you watch Parliament sessions on television, you see the Speaker presiding over heated debates, MPs clapping or shouting, and the occasional dramatic walkout. But what you are watching is only the final act of a much longer process.

The real work of Parliament—the deep scrutiny, the investigation, the fact-finding, and the careful crafting of laws—happens not on the floor of the House, but in committees.

As one policy analyst put it, “The bulk of the duties shouldered by legislators are executed at committee level before the outcomes of such sittings are considered on the floor of Parliament”. In other words, committees are where the heavy lifting gets done.

This guide explains how Uganda’s parliamentary committees work, why they matter, and how they affect your daily life as a citizen.

Why Committees Exist: A Brief History

The committee system was not always part of Uganda’s Parliament. It was a deliberate innovation introduced during the creation of the 1995 Constitution.

After decades of turmoil under past regimes, the delegates to the Constituent Assembly (CA) wanted to ensure that Uganda would never again suffer from unchecked executive power. They knew that simply having a Parliament was not enough. Legislators needed tools to go deep into issues, investigate government action, and protect citizens from abuse.

The arguments made during those debates remain relevant today:

Prof. Yash Tandon, a prominent intellectual, argued that “Parliament must not be reduced to clapping hands for the Executive. Its committees should be able to follow government ministries step by step, and question how public money is spent”.

Cecilia Ogwal, the late Lira municipality delegate, was equally forceful: “We cannot allow mistakes of the past to repeat themselves. Committees must ensure that the people’s money works for the people, not for a few in government. This Constitution will not protect us if Parliament sleeps. Committees are the eyes and ears of the people”.

Abu Mayanja, the Busujju delegate, offered a simple analogy: “A committee without powers is like a doctor without medicine. It may diagnose problems, but it cannot treat them”.

The result was Article 90 of the Constitution, which gives parliamentary committees powers to summon witnesses, demand documents, and carry out investigations on behalf of the whole Parliament.

The Two Types of Parliamentary Committees

The Parliament of Uganda has 29 committees in total. These are divided into two main categories: Standing Committees and Sectoral Committees.

Standing Committees (15 Committees)

Standing committees are permanent structures set up at the start of a new term of Parliament. They last for two and a half years—half the life of a five-year Parliament. They are reconstituted midway through the term.

These committees handle cross-cutting issues that affect all sectors of government. They include:

Committee	Primary Function
Budget Committee	Scrutinizes the national budget
Public Accounts Committee (Central Government)	Audits central government spending
COSASE (Commissions & State Enterprises)	Oversees public corporations
Public Accounts (Local Government)	Audits local government spending
Committee on Human Rights	Investigates human rights violations
Committee on Science, Technology & Innovation	Reviews tech and innovation policy
Committee on Rules, Privileges & Discipline	Manages parliamentary procedures

According to Parliament’s official website, Standing Committees “play a crucial role in the legislative process by conducting in-depth reviews, investigations, and discussions related to particular subjects”.

Sectoral Committees (16 Committees)

Sectoral committees are “departmentally related committees”—meaning each one aligns with a specific government ministry or cluster of ministries. Their composition is determined at the start of each session (a session lasts one year), and they last for only that session.

The 16 Sectoral Committees cover every major area of government:

1. Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
2. Defence and Internal Affairs
3. East African Community Affairs
4. Education and Sports
5. Environment and Natural Resources
6. Finance, Planning and Economic Development
7. Foreign Affairs
8. Gender, Labour and Social Development
9. Health
10. Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance
11. Lands
12. Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
13. Physical Infrastructure
14. Presidential Affairs
15. Public Service and Local Government
16. Tourism, Trade and Industry

Each committee is responsible for scrutinizing the budget, policies, and performance of its corresponding ministry.

How MPs Are Assigned to Committees

Every Member of Parliament sits on at least two committees. The assignment process works like this:

1. Political party whips designate MPs to different committees based on the numerical strength of each party in Parliament
2. The designations are submitted to the House for approval
3. The Speaker or Deputy Speaker presides over the session that formally assigns MPs to committees

Until recently, there was a cap on committee sizes: Standing Committees could have between 15 and 35 members, while Sectoral Committees could have between 15 and 30 members.

However, the 11th Parliament (2021–2026) has 529 MPs—significantly more than the 432 MPs in the 10th Parliament. This made it impossible to fit everyone within the old caps.

In response, Parliament amended its rules of procedure and lifted the cap on committee membership. Committees can now have more than 35 members to accommodate the growing number of legislators.

Key insight: The Government Chief Whip, Thomas Tayebwa, explained that this change would solve the issue of amending the rules every time the number of elected MPs increases.

What Committees Actually Do

Committees have three primary functions:

1. Legislative Scrutiny

Before any bill becomes law, it is sent to the relevant committee for detailed examination. The committee:

• Studies the bill clause by clause
• Calls experts and stakeholders for input
• Proposes amendments
• Writes a report recommending whether Parliament should pass the bill

The 11th Parliament has passed more than 150 bills—a legislative output that rivals the combined achievements of the 9th and 10th Parliaments. This high productivity would have been impossible without effective committees.

2. Budget Oversight

Each Sectoral Committee scrutinizes the budget of its corresponding ministry. For example, the Committee on Health examines the Ministry of Health’s budget, questioning officials on how every shilling will be spent.

However, there are limitations. The Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, for instance, cannot scrutinize classified budgets—a significant gap in oversight.

3. Accountability and Investigations

Committees have powers similar to the High Court when summoning ministers, civil servants, and private sector players. They can:

• Summon any person to appear before them
• Demand the production of documents
• Investigate misuse of public funds
• Report findings to the full Parliament

The most powerful accountability committees are chaired by Opposition MPs—a deliberate design to ensure independent oversight. These include:

• Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) – Chaired by Busiro East MP Medard Sseggona
• Public Accounts Committee (Local Government) – Chaired by Aringa County MP Godfrey Onzima
• COSASE – Chaired by Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyi
• Government Assurance Committee – Chaired by Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze

The Controversy: UPDF MPs on Oversight Committees

One ongoing debate concerns whether UPDF Members of Parliament should sit on oversight committees.

The armed forces fall under the Executive arm of government. According to the doctrine of separation of powers, it is problematic for representatives of the Executive to sit on committees that are supposed to provide oversight over the Executive.

As one MP argued, “There is no way the UPDF, which is part of the Executive, would be allowed to sit and also do the oversight on themselves.” The same critic observed that UPDF MPs “would sometimes take it upon themselves to answer questions on behalf of the representatives of the Executive while appearing before oversight committees”.

This concern remains unresolved as Uganda prepares for the 12th Parliament.

Recent Changes: What You Need to Know

Change	What It Means
No more membership caps	More MPs can serve on each committee
High legislative output	Over 150 bills passed in 11th Parliament
New committees added	Climate Change, Science & Technology, HIV/AIDS
Accountability committees retain Opposition chairs	Independent oversight preserved

The 11th Parliament has also been described as “both calm and noisy at the same time”—where debate, youthful energy, and political divisions coexist with remarkable legislative productivity.

Why This Matters to You

You might think parliamentary committees are distant and irrelevant to your daily life. They are not.

Every tax shilling you pay is scrutinized by the Public Accounts Committee and COSASE.

Every law that affects your business, your children’s education, or your healthcare is shaped in a committee before it reaches the floor of Parliament.

Every time a minister is held accountable for mismanagement—or let off the hook—it happens in a committee hearing.

As the late Cecilia Ogwal said, “Committees are the eyes and ears of the people”. Understanding how they work is the first step to demanding that they work for you.

How Citizens Can Engage with Committees

While committees are not as visible as plenary sessions, citizens can still engage:

1. Attend public hearings – Some committees hold public hearings on major bills
2. Follow committee reports – These are published on Parliament’s website
3. Submit memoranda – When a bill is under review, citizens and organizations can submit written input
4. Contact your MP – As a committee member, your MP can raise issues on your behalf

The committee system was designed to be “the workshop of democracy”—where citizens can be heard, technical details can be clarified, and the real meaning of legislation can be understood before it is passed.

Quick Reference: Key Committees to Watch

If You Care About…	Follow This Committee
Government waste and corruption	Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
State-owned enterprises	COSASE
The national budget	Budget Committee
Education policy	Committee on Education and Sports
Healthcare	Committee on Health
Roads and infrastructure	Committee on Physical Infrastructure
Land rights	Committee on Lands
Internet and technology	Committee on ICT
Human rights abuses	Committee on Human Rights

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Are there specific committees you would like to know more about? Or a recent parliamentary investigation you want explained? Leave your questions in the comments below.