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The eleventh parliament of Uganda presents some interesting insights into its demographics across various factors such as education, gender, and age, according to data sourced from Parliament Watch.
Education-wise, this parliament is hailed as the “most educated” in Uganda’s history. Impressively, there are more Members of Parliament (MPs) holding PhDs, totaling 16, than those with only A’level certificates, which stands at a mere 14. The majority of MPs, numbering 203, hold Master’s degrees, closely followed by 196 MPs with Bachelor’s degrees. Notably, only a small fraction of MPs, 5 in total, possess certificates, while 40 hold diplomas and 47 have postgraduate diplomas. These statistics may prompt reflection on the significance of educational qualifications for parliamentary representation.
Gender diversity in the eleventh parliament reveals a clear imbalance, with a large majority of 368 MPs being male, constituting 66.2 percent of the house. In contrast, female representation stands at 188 MPs, making up 33.8 percent of the total. This raises questions about the effectiveness of affirmative action policies, such as the provision for one female seat per district. It invites consideration for potential revisions to such policies to enhance gender parity in parliament.
Turning to age demographics, a significant portion of MPs, 41.2 percent, fall within the age range of 39 to 49 years at the time of swearing-in. The youngest MP elected in 2021 was a mere 24 years old, while the oldest was 82. Notably, there were 8 MPs aged between 24 and 28 at the time of swearing-in, indicating a presence of relatively youthful representation. The mean age of parliamentarians stood at 46.8 years, with more than half of the house, 51.6 percent, being above 46 years old. MPs between 36 and 45 years accounted for 36.1 percent, while those below 35 constituted 12.3 percent of the house. However, it’s important to note that this data excludes information on 8 MPs, and recent by-elections may not be reflected.