- Nearly eight in 10 Ugandans (77%) say Parliament, not the president, should make the country’s laws.
- Three-fourths (74%) of citizens say Parliament should ensure that the president regularly reports to it regarding government expenditures.
- More than one-third (36%) of Ugandans say the president “often” or “always” ignores Parliament and just does what he wants.
- Almost six in 10 Ugandans (58%) think that elections function “fairly well” or “very well” to ensure that MPs reflect voters’ views, an 8-percentage-point increase since 2019.
- More than half (55%) of citizens say voters are responsible for ensuring that MPs do their jobs, while fewer than one-fifth say this task falls to the president (19%), Parliament (14%), or political parties (9%).
- One in six Ugandans (17%) say they contacted their MP “only once,” “a few times,” or “often” during the year prior to the survey, a 4-percentage-point increase since 2015.
- But only 15% say MPs “often” or “always” do their best to listen to their constituents.
- More than half (55%) of Ugandans say they trust Parliament “somewhat” or “a lot.”
- Nearly half (47%) of citizens say “most” or “all” MPs are involved in corruption, an increase of 9 percentage points since 2019.
- Ugandans hold mixed opinions on their MP’s performance: About half (49%) say they are doing a good job, while a similar share (48%) disapprove of their performance.
- Clear majorities of Ugandans endorse changes that would affect parliamentarians: 78% say the number of MPS should be reduced to ease the financial burden on taxpayers, 70% think MPs should not be appointed to the cabinet, and 73% want the state to stop providing free cars to MPs.
Parliaments are tasked with passing budgets, making and amending laws, representing ordinary citizens, and overseeing other branches of government. Legislatures are therefore crucial instruments for deepening democracy, advancing the rule of law, securing human rights, maintaining peace, promoting economic growth, and working toward social justice (Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2014; McManus & Ozkan, 2024; Parliament of Uganda, 2018).
Uganda’s first legislative body was established in 1920 under the British colonial regime. At the time, it consisted of seven members, all European; the first African members were admitted in 1945. Today, Uganda’s Parliament comprises 556 representatives (Parliament of Uganda, 2025).
Past Afrobarometer surveys have revealed public concern about the growth of Uganda’s Parliament, which springs from the creation of new constituencies (Krönke & Kakumba, 2022). The cost of maintaining Uganda’s Parliament rose significantly post-COVID-19, from UGX673 billion in the 2020/2021 financial year to UGX979 billion in 2024/2025, although the budget was trimmed by UGX146 billion this year (Office of the Auditor General, 2021; Wanyenya, 2025a). Opposition politicians have called for Parliament to be downsized to increase efficiency and reduce wasteful spending (Wanyenya, 2025b).
Critics point out that while developed countries fund 40% of Uganda’s budget, Ugandan parliamentarians earn more than their counterparts in many donor countries and further reward themselves with substantial perks (Ejoyi, 2024). The current Parliament has been the subject of numerous bribery scandals as well as several episodes of financial mismanagement (Kisakye, 2024; Wanyenya, 2025c; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, 2024).
MPs also stand accused of failing to oversee the executive (Ejoyi, 2024; Mugenyi, 2024). President Yoweri Museveni has in the past dictated certain terms of the national budget and various pieces of legislation, opening MPs up to criticism that they are merely rubberstamping his decisions (Wamajji, 2015; Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, 2024).
Findings from recent Afrobarometer surveys show that while more than half of Ugandans say they trust Parliament, few think that MPs listen to their constituents. Most citizens say that MPs should be responsible for making laws and should exercise oversight of the president. However, more than one-third say the president routinely ignores Parliament.
Respondents are split on whether most MPs are corrupt and whether they are performing well. Large majorities support reforms to parliamentary practices, including downsizing Parliament, banning MP appointments to the cabinet, and ending the provision of free cars to MPs.
