Parliament to Elect EALA Replacements for Namara, Kakooza

Parliament of Uganda will conduct a by-election to fill two vacant East African Legislative Assembly seats after Hon. Dennis Namara and Hon. Kakooza James Mutagubya were elected to the national parliament, with the process expected to conclude by April 15, 2026.

The Parliament of Uganda is set to hold a by-election to fill two vacant seats in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) following the election of Dennis Namara and James Kakooza Mutagubya to the national parliament.

The vacancies arose after the two lawmakers, originally part of Uganda’s nine-member delegation to regional parliament, were elected as Members of Parliament in January 2026.

In a March 17, 2026 letter, the Speaker of EALA, Joseph Ntakirutimana, formally notifiedthe Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Annet Among, of the vacancies.

Article 51(3) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and Sections 8 and 9 of the East African Legislative Assembly Elections Act, 2012, require member state parliaments to conduct a by-election within 90 days to elect eligible representatives for the remainder of the term.

The current tenure of the EALA members runs from 2022 to 2027, meaning the new members elected in the upcoming by-election will serve until December 2027, completing the five-year term of the 5th Assembly.

Following the EALA notification, Speaker Among instructed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to organize primaries to identify candidates for the by-election.

The nominees are expected to be submitted to the Office of the Clerk to Parliament between March 30 and 31, 2026, ahead of the by-election scheduled to be conducted on or before April 15, 2026.

“The Parliament of Uganda is required to conduct a by-election within 90 days to elect eligible persons to serve the remaining term of Honourable Dennis Namara and Honourable James Kakooza Mutagubya,” Ms Among wrote in a March 19, 2026 letter to the NRM Secretary General.

“Since the above-named Members represented the NRM on the nine-member delegation elected to EALA, you are expected to organize primaries to identify the candidates to be elected by Parliament.”

The upcoming by-election will ensure Uganda maintains its full representation in EALA, which plays a key role in regional legislation, oversight, and integration within the East African Community.