Focus on climate action, Tayebwa tells MPs

What the report says

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has called on Ugandan MPs to make climate action a practical priority in Parliament’s lawmaking, budgeting, oversight and representation work. According to The Independent Uganda, he made the remarks in Kampala on Tuesday while opening a two-day induction for members of the Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change and the Committee on Natural Resources at Mestil Hotel.

Tayebwa said climate change should no longer be treated mainly as a topic for conferences and speeches, and argued that Parliament will be judged by how well it helps prevent climate-related disasters. He urged lawmakers to push for climate issues to be reflected in government programmes and public spending, saying it is more effective to invest in prevention than repeatedly pay for emergency relief after floods or droughts.

The report says he pointed to recurring flooding along River Nyamwamba in Kasese and land loss in Ntoroko as examples of the damage that needs long-term solutions. He also linked climate action to agriculture, calling for climate-smart farming, drought-resistant seeds, agroforestry, soil protection, stronger extension services, water harvesting and wider use of renewable energy, including solar power in public institutions.

Tayebwa further asked MPs to tighten oversight of forests and wetlands, and said Uganda’s meteorological services should be better equipped so farmers and communities can receive clearer weather forecasts. The comments reflect growing concern in Uganda about the economic and social costs of climate change, especially for agriculture-dependent communities.