Editorial Team/Staff Writers
Early life and education
Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, the West Budama County MP endorsed by the governing NRM for the position of Speaker of Parliament, has risen from a humble background to build a political career that will make him the third most important government official (after the president and the vice president) if he wins the election.
Born on April 13, 1971 in the eastern district of Tororo, he was raised in an Anglican family. But his parents struggled to cater for his schooling needs, and he did odd jobs—including storekeeping and fetching water for locals—to make ends meet.
At one point, after being sent away from school for failing to pay tuition fees, he was taken in by American missionaries in Tororo. He worked as a storekeeper and handled other tasks for two years under their guidance before joining Tororo High School to complete his A-Levels.
Mr Oboth-Oboth began his legal studies at Makerere University in 1997, graduating in 2001 with a Bachelor of Laws degree. In 2002, he pursued a postgraduate diploma in legal practice at the Law Development Centre (LDC), and a management certificate course at the Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
Two years later, he acquired certificates in intellectual property and public procurement from the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO). In 2007, he complemented these qualifications with a Master of Laws (LLM) in Election and Cyber Law from the University of Minnesota.
Legal and early career
After graduating as a lawyer, Mr Oboth-Oboth served as the deputy attorney general for the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution. He went on to join the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, serving as a state attorney attached to the Mbale Regional Office. He held this position until 2010, when he resigned to join politics.
Political career
Mr Oboth-Oboth, who was appointed Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs in 2024, joined politics ahead of the 2011 general elections, leveraging donor connections established during his time in the US to initiate development projects in his constituency. Running as an Independent candidate, he was elected as the MP for West Budama South after defeating the incumbent State Minister for Labour, Dr Emmanuel Othala. His victory was challenged in a petition, but Mr Oboth-Oboth retained his seat.
In 2016, he retained his seat by polling 20,653 votes against Phoebe Awede Othala’s 19,462 votes. In doing so, he became the first legislator in his constituency to win a second successive term since 1996.
Parliamentary leadership
Throughout his tenure in Parliament, Mr Oboth-Oboth has held several key committee leadership roles:
9th Parliament: He chaired the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges, as well as the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Electricity Subsector. He was also a member of the Committee on Natural Resources.
10th Parliament: He chaired the influential Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, while continuing to serve as a member of the Business Committee and the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges.
Recent Developments: On May 15, 2026, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, along with members of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), endorsed Oboth-Oboth for the position of Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
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