The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, has written to the Clerk to Parliament requesting that the induction of Members of the 12th Parliament be postponed until after the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
In a letter dated April 27, 2026, Mao argues that holding the induction before the election of parliamentary leadership risks undermining the effectiveness of the orientation programme meant to prepare legislators for their roles.
“Anything that will be a distraction from the objectives of the induction should be discouraged,” Mao stated, adding that the exercise should instead take place after the House elects its leadership.
According to Mao, nearly two-thirds of the incoming legislators are new, making the induction critical in equipping them with knowledge on lawmaking, ethical standards and parliamentary procedure. However, he warned that the unresolved contest for Speaker could overshadow the process.
The minister noted that Parliament is only “fully constituted” after the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, arguing that conducting induction beforehand would be premature.
“To take the members through an induction before the leadership of Parliament has been determined is akin to taking a sports team to a training camp before determining who will captain the team,” he wrote.
Mao cited his experience at the recent National Resistance Movement (NRM) retreat in Kyankwanzi, where debates over the Speakership reportedly distracted legislators from substantive discussions.
His intervention comes amid a heated race for the Speakership of the 12th Parliament, with Mao himself among the contenders challenging incumbent Anita Among. The contest has drawn significant political interest, with analysts describing it as one of the most competitive in recent parliamentary history.
Traditionally, the induction of MPs follows shortly after swearing-in, but before key leadership elections. Mao’s proposal, if adopted, would alter this sequence in a bid to ensure focus and cohesion among legislators.
