MJAAR

Executive dominance and its effect on parliamentary committee effectiveness in Uganda

Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1, Akampulira Sarah2, Nabaasa Desire3


Abstract

This study examined the effect of executive dominance on parliamentary committee effectiveness in Uganda, drawing on a cross-sectional survey of 312 respondents including members of parliament, committee clerks, civil society representatives, and parliamentary researchers. The study was anchored on the principal-agent theory and the separation of powers doctrine. Three specific objectives guided the inquiry: to assess the extent of executive dominance over parliamentary committees in Uganda; to examine the relationship between executive dominance and committee effectiveness; and to determine the effect of executive dominance on the oversight, legislative review, and budget scrutiny functions of parliamentary committees. A structured questionnaire measuring executive dominance across five dimensions budget control, appointment power, legislative agenda setting, information asymmetry, and party discipline and committee effectiveness across three sub-dimensions was administered. Data were analysed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modelling (SEM). Descriptive findings revealed a mean executive dominance composite score of 4.17 (SD=0.52) on a 5-point Likert scale, while the mean committee effectiveness score stood at a significantly lower 2.63 (SD=0.71), indicating constrained parliamentary performance. Pearson correlation analysis returned a strong negative association between executive dominance and committee effectiveness (r=−0.621, p

Keywords

executive dominance parliamentary committee effectiveness Uganda oversight separation of powers structural equation modelling
Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research

Cite This Article

Dr. Arinaitwe Julius1, Akampulira Sarah2 & Nabaasa Desire3 (2026). Executive dominance and its effect on parliamentary committee effectiveness in Uganda. Metropolitan Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 5(6). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=462