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The new Shadow Cabinet has been sworn in to provide alternative policy recommendations to the Government for the two-and-a-half-year period.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, where the Opposition MPs are holding a two-day workshop on alternative budget priorities for the next financial year, which begins on July 1.

It was overseen by the new Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP) and Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyi.

The Shadow Cabinet comprises members from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda People’s Congress, People’s Progressive Party, Democratic Party, and Independents.

Its members hold portfolios and functions corresponding to those of the Cabinet and follow up on the work of government ministries, departments, and agencies.

The government gives the LOP’s office shillings 2.7 billion annually as part of the Parliament budget to run its activities and this money also covers trips for Opposition lawmakers, among other things.

Ssenyonyi and his new team were appointed in December last year by National Unity Platform (NUP) party president Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.

The team includes FDC’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda (Kira Municipality) as shadow minister for finance, Francis Zaake (Mityana Municipality) as shadow minister for presidency and security, Joseph Ssewungu (Kalungu West) as shadow minister for education, and Betty Naluyima (Wakiso Woman) as shadow minister for local government, who are all from NUP.

Led by Ssenyonyi, the members vowed to keep the Government in check and ensure accountability.

“I promise to continue speaking for the voiceless and execute as mandated. Education is the most powerful weapon. Help me God,” Ssewungu said.

Ssenyonyi and Kyagulanyi kept some MPs from the Shadow Cabinet that was left by his predecessor and Nyendo-Mukungwe MP, Mathias Mpuuga.

Those who were retained with their positions include Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East, Independent) as the Shadow Attorney General and John Baptist Nambeshe (Manjiya County NUP) as Opposition Chief Whip.

The Opposition in Parliament is charged with a broad and collective mandate of keeping the Government in check.

To ably champion and execute this mandate, Article 82(A) of the Constitution and the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Act bestows leadership upon NUP and subsequently LOP. 

This is because NUP is the second largest party in the 11th Parliament after the ruling National Resistance Movement party.