The latest appointments have pushed the number of MPs to 555 from 529, with the 26 ex-officio members named in the Cabinet.
The number of members in the 12th Parliament has risen to 555 following President Museveni’s appointment of 26 ex-officio members in the new Cabinet.
On Tuesday, President Museveni unveiled an 83-member Cabinet comprising ministers and ministers of state drawn from different parts of the country.
While most of the appointees are elected Members of Parliament (MPs), several do not hold elective parliamentary seats and automatically qualify as ex-officio members.
Therefore, when a person who is not an elected legislator is appointed minister or vice president, they automatically become an ex-officio Member of Parliament.
The latest appointments mean that the number of MPs has now increased to 555 from 529, with the addition of the 26 ex-officio members named in the Cabinet.
Although ex-officio members can participate in parliamentary business, the Constitution bars them from voting on matters that require a formal vote in the House.
Their role in Parliament includes attending plenary sittings, debating issues, presenting government business, defending policies and statements, and responding to questions raised by legislators.
Ex-officio members also participate in committee proceedings where they defend ministerial budgets, government programmes, and Bills tabled before Parliament.
The expanded size of Parliament comes amid continued public debate over the cost of maintaining one of the largest legislatures in the region, with critics often questioning whether the increasing number of legislators and political appointees is sustainable.