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Soroti Woman Member of Parliament Anna Adeke has urged lawmakers in Uganda’s 12th Parliament to take a leading role in addressing the country’s long-standing transition question, warning that poor planning could result in instability at the end of President Yoweri Museveni’s rule.
Speaking after taking oath for her third term, Adeke admitted that her re-election battle was not easy, reflecting growing political competition on the ground.
However, she shifted focus to what she described as a more pressing national concern — how Uganda will manage its eventual leadership transition.
Adeke said the new parliamentary term presents a crucial opportunity for legislators to confront the issue directly and put in place mechanisms that will guarantee stability.
“For the 12th Parliament, for the wider picture about our constitutional democracy, I expect the issue of transition and how it will happen to feature very prominently because it is apparent,” she said.
Her remarks come amid heightened debate over succession in Uganda, where President Museveni has remained in power for decades.
The absence of a clear transition roadmap has continued to generate discussion among political actors, analysts, and civil society groups.
Adeke pointed to recent political signals, including the start of the new parliamentary term, as indicators that the country is entering what she termed “years of transition.”
She said this period requires deliberate and structured engagement by lawmakers.
“If you read the signal from yesterday, the official start of this new legislative term, you can read that it really will be years of transition,” she noted.
The legislator emphasised that the transition question has remained unresolved for years and continues to dominate public discourse. She urged Parliament to prioritise it and ensure the country is adequately prepared.
“So, that question that has been lingering in the hearts and minds of Ugandans, it should be something that the 12th Parliament addresses, prepares the country for, and manages properly without anarchy,” she added.
Adeke maintained that managing the transition peacefully should be at the centre of Parliament’s agenda, calling on MPs to rise above political divisions.
“I think that big issue of transition still remains the central issue of our attention in the 12th Parliament,” she said.