Honored to attend the World Women Parliamentary Forum at the Government Palace in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Thanks to HE Ms. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the warm welcome. Women are our grandmothers, our mothers, our sisters, our wives, and our daughters. Absolutely should be supported to achieve their dreams to sustain humanity.

Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa on Monday presented Uganda’s progress in advancing women’s representation in leadership, citing their growing presence in Parliament and Cabinet. Speaking at the World Women Parliamentarians Forum in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Tayebwa, who led Uganda’s delegation, said the country had taken deliberate steps to increase women’s participation in governance. The Deputy Speaker said women account for 35 per cent of Uganda’s Parliament, with 187 women among 529 members, while they make up 49 per cent of Cabinet. He pointed to gender and equality assessments in the budgeting process, supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission, as measures intended to ensure that women and other disadvantaged groups are considered in government programmes. The two-day forum, held on October 12–13 under the theme “From Representation to Influence in the Decision-Making Process,” brings together women parliamentarians to share experiences and discuss ways to strengthen women’s role in governance. Uganda’s delegation included Lira District Woman MP Auma Linda Agnes, National Female MP for Persons with Disabilities Laura Kanushu, Wakiso District Woman MP Betty Ethel Naluyima, Soroti District Woman MP Anna Ebaju Adeke and National Female Youth MP Mercy Kanyesigye.

Uganda’s Cabinet now 49% female as deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa urges shift from numbers to real impact monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/na…

YES!

Anita Rukundo Tayebwa, the wife of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, has officially been appointed as the Honorary Consul of The Bahamas to Uganda. links.monitor.co.ug/l9-hZ1 #MonitorUpdates

Anita Rukundo Tayebwa Pledges Strengthening Uganda, Bahamas Tourism Sectors. #NilePostNews nilepost.co.ug/news/376656/a…

Strong families key to raising responsible citizens, says @Thomas_Tayebwa monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/na…

Heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. Anita Rukundo Tayebwa on your appointment as Honorary Consul of The Bahamas to Uganda. A well-deserved recognition of your grace & diplomacy. You will strengthen trade, tourism & bilateral ties between our Commonwealth nations. Congratulations!

Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa this morning welcomed H.E. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, @commonwealthsec Secretary-General, to Parliament. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and how the Commonwealth can support Parliament in building a more open and accountable institution. They explored opportunities for MPs to benchmark other Commonwealth countries, learn how other parliaments are digitising their processes, and build the capacity of Uganda’s MPs to debate critical issues that can contribute to the development of Uganda and the wider Commonwealth community.

I welcomed H.E. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, @commonwealthsec Secretary-General and her delegation to Parliament this morning for a courtesy visit. She was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, @adoniaayebare. We discussed how we can strengthen cooperation and how the Commonwealth can support us in building a more open and accountable Parliament. There are opportunities for our MPs to benchmark other Commonwealth countries, learn how other parliaments are digitising their processes, and build the capacity of our Members to debate critical issues that can contribute to the development of our country and the wider Commonwealth. We also discussed the role the Commonwealth can play in promoting trade among member states, supporting refugee-hosting countries such as Uganda, contributing to peace and conflict resolution in the region, and creating more scholarship opportunities for our students, among other areas. I was pleased to learn from H.E. Shirley that promoting trade and investment is one of her key priorities. I look forward to more engagements with her as we strengthen our cooperation.

I graced the 13th Women Forum of the National Prayer Breakfast at Speke Resort, Munyonyo, which brought together women Members of Parliament, women from the private sector, Nnaabagereka of Buganda, Lady Sylvia Nagginda, and visiting dignitaries from other countries. I thanked women whom I know as prayer warriors for always praying for our nation. Behind many of the successes we celebrate are women who pray, support their families and communities, and carry a great deal of responsibility. I spoke about the centrality of strong families in nation-building. We should promote respect, responsibility and peaceful coexistence in our homes and communities, with the same standards applying to both men and women. While many times we, as men, do not do the right things, I urged women never to cease forgiving us. But there have also been cases where women have wronged men. That is not right either. I listened to touching testimonies from many speakers, including @JacqueMbabazi and Irene Kauma, among others. Indeed, prayers can heal. I would like to thank the organisers, led by Hon. Naome Kabasharira, Chairperson of the Women Forum of the Uganda National Prayer Breakfast, for a wonderful event.

The Ambassador of @embassy_korea, H.E. Lee Sang-ho, paid me a courtesy visit to Parliament this morning. Napak Woman MP and Commissioner, Hon. @faithchuna1, Mukono Woman MP Hon. Amaniyo Draville Sheila, and Lamwo County MP Hon. Johnson Nyeko Kezekiya joined me in welcoming him. South Korea is a country that has taken its bilateral relations with Uganda seriously since we gained independence. I thanked the Ambassador for the support South Korea has extended to Uganda over the years and continues to provide towards our development. We discussed areas where we can further strengthen our partnership, including parliamentary diplomacy, technology transfer and attracting more investors from South Korea. South Korea has transformed its Parliament into an e-Parliament, and there is a lot we can learn from its experience as we continue our efforts to digitise our Parliament and improve the way we serve citizens. Through the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement), South Korea established a model village in Mpigi, inspired by the country’s rural transformation strategy of the 1970s. Anyone interested in rural transformation should visit the model village and learn from its experience. Like many Koreans, Ambassador Lee Sang-ho is a good golfer. I look forward to having a match with him soon.

The Ambassador of @embassy_korea, H.E. Lee Sang-ho, paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, @Thomas_Tayebwa, on Tuesday morning. The Deputy Speaker thanked the South Korean Ambassador for the support his country has extended to Uganda over the years. They discussed ways to further strengthen the partnership between Uganda and South Korea, including parliamentary diplomacy, technology transfer and attracting more investors from South Korea. The Deputy Speaker said South Korea has transformed its Parliament into an e-Parliament and that Uganda can tap on that knowledge and experience to improve its legislature.

This morning, I opened a two-day induction for Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change and the Committee on Natural Resources at Mestil Hotel. Together with actors in the civil society and international agencies, they are discussing the critical role of Parliament in addressing the effects of climate change. We all know that climate change is no longer a distant threat. Its effects are already being felt across the country through flooding, prolonged droughts, changing weather patterns, declining water sources, food insecurity, and the loss of forests and wetlands. I told my colleagues that, as Parliament, we must move beyond responding to disasters after they occur and focus more on prevention and building resilience. Our four core mandates of legislation, appropriation, oversight and representation give us the tools to drive meaningful action. We should prioritise long-term solutions. Instead of repeatedly spending money responding to floods in areas such as River Nyamwamba and Ntoroko, or providing food to communities in Karamoja, we should invest in measures that prevent these disasters and protect communities. We should also ensure that programmes such as the Parish Development Model support climate-smart agriculture, including the use of drought-resistant seeds, agroforestry, soil conservation, water harvesting and properly equipped agricultural extension services. I told my colleagues that the 12th Parliament must be a Parliament of action. History will judge us not by the number of sittings or conferences we attended, but by how effectively we prevented disasters, protected our environment and safeguarded the future of generations to come. I also renewed my membership of the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change.

Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa has advised 155 newly trained Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) in Mitooma District against treating patients or setting up informal clinics, telling them to concentrate on health education, disease prevention and linking communities to health facilities. Tayebwa told the community health workers to instead become the government’s eyes and ears within communities by identifying health risks, educating households and referring people to appropriate health facilities. “You’re not a doctor; don’t start acting like doctors, don’t set up clinics. Don’t attempt to treat anyone. That is not your job,” he said. He was speaking on Monday during the passing-out ceremony for the community health extension workers at the Mitooma District headquarters, where he joined Ministry of Health officials and district leaders to mark the completion of their training. The workers are expected to take health promotion closer to households, in areas where residents may face difficulties accessing health facilities. Their responsibilities include community sensitisation, disease surveillance, encouraging immunisation and antenatal care, identifying health risks and referring patients for professional treatment.

Today, I joined the faithful from across the country, priests, political and other leaders, and the Christians of Kabale Diocese at the St. Ignatius University playground in Kabale Town for the Episcopal ordination of Rt. Rev. Dr. Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire, the new bishop of Kabale Diocese. I pledged my utmost support to him as he begins the journey of shepherding the flock. We all know what the Church can do in transforming societies. The Church is one of the most important partners of the government in development. As H.E. @KagutaMuseveni noted in remarks delivered by the Minister of Finance, Hon. @henrymusasizi1, the Church in Kabale Diocese has played a crucial role in the socio-economic transformation of the people of Kigezi. The President said the Church should continue on the path of promoting initiatives that improve the lives of the people it serves. He also said the government will continue to look to the Church as a partner in the fight against household poverty. I thanked the Emeritus Bishop, Rt. Rev. Callistus Rubaramira, for his service to the people of Kigezi, which combined spiritual nourishment with socio-economic transformation. He promoted financial self-reliance through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Fund (BAAF). Under his leadership, the diocese invested in income-generating infrastructure, including commercial buildings across the diocese. In education, he supported schools and founded St. Ignatius University Kabale. Congratulations to Rt. Rev. Dr. Bonaventure Bosco Gubazire on assuming this important responsibility, which requires a commitment to service beyond self every day. I wish you God’s guidance and grace as you embark on this journey.

Standing beneath the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome @Vatican, built over 120 years from 1506 to 1626, I am reminded that faith, art, and humanity’s restless search for purpose endure. Let us build a future worthy of the giants before us. 🏛️✨ #WorldFaithful #StPetersBasilica

𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐛𝐰𝐚 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 Deputy Speaker @Thomas_Tayebwa has called on the European Union to increase funding for Uganda’s refugee response, warning that declining humanitarian support is placing growing pressure on public services and host communities. Tayebwa made the appeal on Monday when he received Members of the European Parliament, Hon. @Tineke_Strik and Hon. @annastrolenberg. The delegation is in Uganda to understand the country’s refugee policies and explore ways of strengthening cooperation between Uganda and the EU on refugee management. Uganda’s 2026 refugee response plan requires about US$850 million, but only 12% of the required funding has so far been provided by international partners, according to figures cited by Tayebwa. Uganda currently hosts more than two million refugees and asylum-seekers, according to statistics from the Department of Refugees in the Office of the Prime Minister, making it Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country. Most of the refugees are women and children, with the largest numbers originating from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tayebwa said the continued influx, combined with declining funding, requires stronger international support for both refugees and host communities; and urged the EU to address the conflicts driving displacement rather than focusing only on humanitarian assistance after people have crossed into Uganda. The EU has allocated €20.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Uganda in 2026, following Euros23.9 million in 2025. It says it has provided more than Euros194 million in humanitarian funding to Uganda since 2021. Strik acknowledged Uganda’s role in hosting refugees and said European countries could learn from Uganda’s approach to receiving people fleeing conflict. She also acknowledged the funding challenge facing refugee-hosting countries and called for continued international support.