KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Speaker and First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga made a notable return to Parliament on Thursday, marking her first prominent appearance in House proceedings after a prolonged absence during the 11th Parliament.
Kadaga took her seat on the government front bench alongside Vice President Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, and Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama during sittings of the 12th Parliament.
Her presence drew immediate attention from legislators and parliamentary observers, given her limited participation in House sessions during the tenure of former Speaker Anita Among.
Kadaga’s absence from regular sittings in the previous Parliament had been widely interpreted within political circles as reflecting underlying tensions following her loss of the Speakership in 2021.
She was defeated by the late Jacob Oulanyah in a closely watched race, bringing an end to her decade-long tenure as Speaker of Parliament.
After Oulanyah’s death in 2022, Anita Among assumed the Speakership, consolidating influence within the legislature and presiding over a period that saw shifting internal parliamentary dynamics.
Kadaga’s reappearance comes at a moment of renewed transition in Uganda’s parliamentary leadership, following recent changes at the top of the House.
Her return to a visible role in proceedings has been interpreted by observers as a signal of re-engagement with formal parliamentary activity after a period of political distance.
A long-serving legislator and senior figure in the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), Kadaga remains one of the most influential politicians in Uganda’s parliamentary history.
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Kadaga served as Speaker from 2011 to 2021, becoming one of the longest-serving parliamentary leaders in Uganda’s modern political era.
For many MPs present in the chamber, her return to the front bench carried symbolic weight, representing both continuity within Uganda’s political establishment and the re-emergence of a veteran figure in a reshaped parliamentary leadership landscape.
Her presence alongside top government officials underscored her continued standing within the executive and legislative hierarchy, even after years away from active parliamentary proceedings.
