A group of former Members of Parliament from across Uganda has formed an association aimed at promoting their welfare, supporting one another and remaining active in community service after losing their parliamentary seats in the recent general elections.
The move comes after a highly competitive election cycle in which several legislators from the 11th Parliament failed to retain their positions as voters chose new representatives. In Busia, Butaleja and Tororo districts alone, more than 10 incumbent MPs lost their seats.
Rather than withdraw from public life, the former legislators have established Parlia Eco-Power Venture Limited, an association designed to keep them united while creating opportunities beyond elective politics.
The association is chaired by former Bunyole East Member of Parliament Yusuf Mutembule, who said the initiative was created to ensure former legislators remain connected and continue supporting each other after leaving office.
“As politicians, we must remain relevant and stay together. We do not want a situation where you look for a colleague in Gulu and fail to find them. Through this forum, we interact, share experiences and discuss the challenges we face,” Mutembule said.
The leaders said the association, which was established about a month ago, has already had a positive impact on members, especially those struggling to adjust to life after political office.
Former Samia-Bugwe Central MP Dennis Nyangweso said the platform provides important psychosocial support for former legislators dealing with the emotional challenges associated with election losses.
“Psychosocial support after losing an election is very important. Some people go through depression, isolation and even mental health challenges simply because they lost political office,” Nyangweso said.
The former MPs also stressed that losing an election does not mark the end of their public service journey.
Former Samia-Bugwe North MP Godfrey Odero said former leaders remain committed to serving their communities despite no longer holding elective positions.
“As former leaders, we are still available to serve our people even though we lost elections,” Odero said.
Mutembule explained that the idea for the association emerged from informal discussions among former legislators after the elections, as they shared experiences and discussed challenges of life after Parliament.
“After the elections, we started by casually chatting and sharing our experiences and challenges. Later, we asked ourselves whether there was something more we could do beyond politics. We agreed that we could stay together and even venture into business, and that is how the idea was born,” he said.
According to Mutembule, the association has already attracted more than 100 former legislators from across the country.
Members are now exploring business opportunities aimed at improving their livelihoods while maintaining the relationships and networks developed during their time in Parliament.
The former legislators clarified that the association is not intended to compete with or oppose current political leaders. Instead, they said its focus is to promote unity among former MPs, improve their welfare and provide a platform through which they can continue contributing to national development.