Minister Oboth Reflects On Leadership Journey As MPs Endorse Him For Speakership

The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs and West Budama Central County Member of Parliament, Honourable Jacob Marksons Oboth, held a thanksgiving ceremony in Kyungu, Mukono District, where he reflected on his political journey, leadership at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, and his relationship with the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).

The event coincided with his endorsement from over 300 Members of the 12th Parliament for the position of Speaker of Parliament.

In an emotional address, Hon. Oboth said he had initially believed the gathering was purely a thanksgiving ceremony following his overwhelming election victory in West Budama Central, only to realise later that it had also become what he described as a “farewell” organised by colleagues from the defence establishment.

“I thought I was doing my election victory Thanksgiving. I didn’t know that you people with the CDF and the team had organised this as my farewell,” he said amid applause from supporters and guests.

He said the ministry leadership had worked closely together despite difficult circumstances, including the loss of one of the ministry’s political leaders shortly after he assumed office.

“It’s a ministry where we lost one of us. The work that was supposed to be done by three political heads ended up being done by two of us,” he said.

Hon. Oboth paid tribute to officials from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, particularly the Permanent Secretary, Rosette Byengoma, whom he described as one of the most experienced and calm leaders in government.

He praised the ministry’s culture of teamwork, discipline and faith, noting that meetings within the defence establishment often began with prayer and scripture readings.

He commended the leadership of the UPDF under the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, saying that significant achievements had been registered during the past two and a half years.

“A lot has been achieved in the past two and a half years. The Ministry of Defence is now the first Ministry with a towering headquarters building carrying the national flag. When you see that building, you may think it is a five-star hotel, that is the Ministry of Defence headquarters,” he added.

Hon. Oboth thanked President Yoweri Museveni for appointing him to lead the defence ministry, an opportunity he said had allowed him to serve the country and strengthen collaboration between political leaders and the military.

He expressed gratitude to the people of West Budama Central for overwhelmingly re-electing him to Parliament, which elevated his standing in national politics.

“These people in Kampala would not have known me if you had not voted for me,” he said.

He praised the UPDF for ensuring peaceful elections throughout the country through effective deployment and logistical support.

“That election was conducted in a peaceful manner because you men and women in uniform did what you were supposed to do,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Mrs. Rosette Byengoma, congratulated Mr Oboth upon his election victory, describing it as a demonstration of the love, trust and confidence the people of West Budama Central have in his leadership.

Mrs. Byengoma also congratulated President Museveni and the NRM upon what she described as another successful electoral victory, praising the President for maintaining peace and stability in Uganda over the last four decades.

“We have had a peaceful reign for almost 40 years under Mzee’s leadership. He has helped us transform from a poor economy to the marvellous economy that we are enjoying right now as the people of Uganda,” she said.

Turning to Mr Oboth’s leadership at the Ministry, the Permanent Secretary described him as a humble, visionary and supportive leader who worked harmoniously with both civilian and military staff.

“You have been a leader with vision, confidence and impeccable humility,” she said.

According to Mrs Byengoma, Mr Oboth consistently defended the ministry’s interests before Parliament and provided strong support during budget discussions and committee engagements.

“Most times we sailed through difficult parliamentary sessions with ease because of how you handled matters in a smart way,” she said.

Mrs Byengoma thanked the staff of the Ministry of Defence and the UPDF for supporting the minister throughout his tenure, saying the large number of generals and senior officers who attended the thanksgiving ceremony reflected the respect they had for him.

“It is not easy to move generals, but when you see about two hundred of them gathered here to support their minister, then you know very well how good those ministers have been,” she said.

Representing the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and UPDF representative in Parliament, Lt Gen Sam Okiding commended Mr Oboth for his humility and leadership style, which emphasised collective responsibility over personal recognition, as well as teamwork and dedication to national service.

“You eat humility in the morning, you eat humility in the afternoon, and you eat humility in the evening. Your working style is humility. Your dress code is humility. You don’t have the word, ‘me’ in your vocabulary, but you have the word, ‘we’ Meaning, for you, you believe in teamwork. You are a team builder, you are a team player. For that, I want to thank God so much,” he said.

Lt Gen Okiding said Hon. Oboth’s leadership reflected strong Christian values and thanked him for organising a thanksgiving ceremony centred on gratitude to God.

Quoting Proverbs 3:6, Lt Gen Okiding encouraged him to remain faithful to God and to continue choosing what he described as the “right path” in life.

“Remember the Lord in everything you do. He will show you the right path. Today you have remembered your Lord. You still have a future, and God is going to show you the right path. ,” he said.

He highlighted what he described as Uganda’s key national priorities, including maintaining peace and stability, promoting wealth creation, and fighting corruption.

“We must maintain the stability of our country because it belongs to us. We also need to increase the number of wealth creators in Uganda,” he said.

Lt Gen Okiding urged members to fight corruption, which he described as a “cancer” undermining national development, and called on religious institutions and citizens to take a more active role in combating the vice.

Among those who attended the function were Ministers, Members of Parliament, members of the NRM Central Executive Committee, the Chief of Joint Staff, members of the Joint Staff, serving and retired generals, clergy, and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.