Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth

Jacob Marksons Oboth, also known as Jacob Oboth-Oboth, was born on April 13, 1971. He is a Ugandan lawyer, intellectual property (IP) expert, and politician, who is a member of the ruling party NRM and serves as the elected Member of Parliament for West Budama County South. Additionally, he holds the position of State Minister for Defence (General Duties). Oboth-Oboth currently chairs the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and has previously served as chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and the Committee on Natural Resources. He is also an active member of the parliamentary Business Committee.

Background

After completing his law degree, Oboth-Oboth served as the Deputy Attorney General for Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution. He then worked as a state attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, based in Mbale. In 2007, he left his government job to pursue a master’s degree in election and cyber law at the University of Minnesota. Upon his return in 2010, he joined active politics, using the connections he had made in the US to secure donors who offered to initiate projects in his constituency, which helped him win over voters.

Leadership

He was elected as an Independent MP for West Budama South in 2011 after defeating the incumbent State Minister for Labor, Dr Emmanuel Otaala, who unsuccessfully challenged his victory in court. Oboth-Oboth was re-elected in 2016, setting a record for being the first legislator to be elected for a second successive term in his constituency since 1996.

In the 9th Parliament, Oboth-Oboth chaired the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and the parliamentary ad hoc committee to investigate the electricity sub sector, the Committee on Natural Resources. He now chairs the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and is a member of the Committee on Rules, Discipline and Privileges and the Business Committee in the 10th Parliament.