By Joseph Kiggundu
KAMPALA — Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has called for stricter legal scrutiny of all international treaties before they are presented to Cabinet and Parliament, saying Uganda must avoid committing itself to agreements that may conflict with national laws and interests.
While presiding over a plenary sitting on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, Tayebwa urged the Attorney General to take a more active role in reviewing treaty documents before government officials conclude negotiations.
He referred to the controversial Samoa Agreement, which was later revisited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after concerns were raised by Members of Parliament.
According to Tayebwa, international agreements often contain extensive annexes and technical language that can easily be overlooked if they are not carefully examined.
He said some clauses in the draft Samoa Agreement had raised concerns among legislators, including provisions they believed could require Uganda to align domestic laws with LGBTQI-related policies and abortion funding obligations, as well as clauses suggesting the agreement would take precedence over national legislation.
Tayebwa praised legislators of the 11th Parliament, including Samuel Opio, Theodore Ssekikubo and the late Cecilia Ogwal, for challenging provisions they considered inconsistent with Uganda’s interests.
He recounted that while attending meetings in Brussels he read the agreement overnight and later contacted both the responsible minister and the Attorney General, only to learn that the Attorney General had not previously seen the document.
“I urge the Attorney General to ensure that no one negotiates and commits Uganda without proper legal involvement,” Tayebwa said.
The Deputy Speaker also reminded government of Parliament’s oversight role under Rule 41 of the Rules of Procedure, which requires treaties, protocols and international agreements to be laid before Parliament within 90 working days after they are signed or concluded.
He expressed concern that Parliament rarely receives reports on the financial contributions Uganda makes to international organisations and requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit such reports at least twice a year.
The remarks followed the tabling of several treaties and agreements by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kasolo, who is currently acting as Foreign Affairs minister. The documents covered agreements ratified or acceded to by Uganda between 2021 and 2025.
Among the instruments presented were the World Intellectual Property Organisation Copyright Treaty, the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, the Treaty establishing the African Medicines Agency and the East African Community Protocol on Information and Communications Technology Networks.
Patrick Nsamba, the MP for Kassanda County North, asked that the documents be subjected to detailed parliamentary scrutiny by the relevant committees before any further consideration.
Responding to the request, Tayebwa directed the Committee on Foreign Affairs to examine the treaties, protocols and agreements and report back to Parliament within 45 days.
He also encouraged MPs serving on international delegations to work closely with Uganda’s diplomatic missions abroad. The guidance followed concerns raised by Hassan Kirumira, MP for Katikamu County South, who said some international declarations had been adopted without the knowledge of Ugandan lawmakers attending those meetings.