Ugandan Parliament redesigns Speaker’s seat

The Ugandan Parliament has made subtle changes to its main chamber, moving away from some of the traditional colonial-style features. 

Among the most noticeable changes is the redesign of the Speaker’s chair to reflect a stronger national identity.

The new chair now features a big leather backdrop of red, yellow, and black panels, symbolising Uganda’s national colours. 

This bold and contemporary design replaces the previous setup, which bore similarities to the British House of Commons Speaker’s chair. 

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The old design featured a beige cloth canopy adorned with Uganda’s coat of arms, closely mirroring the British style.

Colonial Connotations Phased Out

The old Speaker’s chair design had long been compared to the British House of Commons seat, which has been in use for nearly 200 years. 

The British chair, crafted in oak, includes intricate Gothic carvings and a canopy topped with the royal coat of arms. 

Elevated on a dais, it symbolises the Speaker’s authority and the centuries-old traditions of the British Parliament.

In contrast, Uganda’s revamped Speaker’s chair moves away from colonial aesthetics, embracing modernity and patriotism. 

Bench Seating Retains a British Touch

Despite the changes to the Speaker’s chair, the Ugandan Parliament retains the British-style bench seating for MPs. 

The long, padded benches, upholstered in green leather continue to replicate the House of Commons traditional layout.

The green leather benches have historical significance in parliamentary tradition, with their use in the British House of Commons dating back to the 14th century. 

The arrangement, where MPs sit on opposing benches, continues to symbolise the adversarial nature of parliamentary debate in Uganda, just as it does in Britain.