East African Legislative Assembly (Eala)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY _____________ EAST AFRICAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (EALA) Official Report of the Proceedings of the East African Legislative Assembly 4TH SITTING - FOURTH ASSEMBLY: SECOND MEETING – FIRST SESSION Tuesday, 23 January 2018 The East African Legislative Assembly met at 9.00 .a.m. in the Parliament of Uganda, Kampala, Uganda. (The Speaker, Mr. Martin .K. Ngoga, in the Chair.) The Assembly was called to order. (The Uganda National Anthem was played) (The East African Community Anthem was played) PRAYER “WHEREAS Clause 1 of Article 55 of the PROCEDURAL MOTION Treaty provides that the meeting of the Assembly shall be held at such times and Ms Muhia Wanjiku (Kenya): Motion that places as the Assembly may appoint; this House, pursuant to the provisions of Article 55(1) of the Treaty and Rule 10 of the AND WHEREAS Rule 2 of the Rules of Rules of Procedure do resolve to hold sittings Procedure provides that, the seat of the in Kampala in the Republic of Uganda. Assembly shall be at Arusha in the Republic of Tanzania; The Speaker: Thank you, hon. Wanjiku. Seconders? Hon. Mbidde, hon. Maryam, hon. AND WHEREAS sub-rule 5 of Rule 10 Musamali and all the members standing. provides that the meetings of the Assembly shall be held at such times and places as the Ms Wanjiku: Mr. Speaker, Assembly may appoint and shall meet at least Tuesday 23 January 2018 East African Legislative Assembly Debates once in every year at Arusha in the United Assembly on the occasion of the State of the Republic of Tanzania and at a time to be EAC Address. determined by the Assembly; I now would like to make the following NOW THEREFORE, this Assembly do proclamation to welcome his presence in the resolve as follows: Assembly. That pursuant to the provisions of sub-rule 5 “WHEREAS Clause 1 of Article 54 of the of rule 10 cited above, the Assembly shall Treaty provides that the Speaker of the hold sittings in the Chamber of Parliament of Assembly can invite any person to attend the Uganda from today, 23 January 2018 up to Assembly, notwithstanding that he or she is Thursday, 8 February 2018.” not a member of the Assembly if in his or her opinion, the business of the Assembly renders Mr Speaker, I beg to move. his or her presence desirable; The Speaker: Thank you. Honourable AND WHEREAS in the opinion of the Members, I now propose the motion that this Speaker, the attendance and presence in the House, pursuant to the provisions of Article Assembly of the President of the Republic of 55(1) of the Treaty and Rule 10 of the Rules Uganda is desirable in accordance with the of Procedure do resolve to hold sittings in business now before the Assembly; Kampala in the Republic of Uganda. Debate is open. NOW THEREFORE it is with great pleasure and honour, on your behalf honourable There being no Member willing to debate the members, to welcome His Excellency the motion, I now proceed to propose the President of the Republic of Uganda in this question that this House, pursuant to the Assembly.” provisions of Rule 55(1) of the Treaty and Rule 10 of the Rules of Procedure do resolve ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE to hold sittings in Kampala in the Republic of PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF Uganda. I put the question. UGANDAWELCOME REMARKS BY THE RT HON. SPEAKER OF EALA (Question put and agreed to.) The Speaker: Your Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic PROCLAMATION of Uganda, Rt. hon. Rebecca Kadaga, The Speaker: Honourable Members, I now Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, wish to make the following proclamation. honourable Chairperson and members of the EAC Council of Ministers, Speakers Amidst us today is His Excellency Yoweri emeritus: Rt. hon. Abdirahin Abdi, Rt. hon. Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic Margaret Zziwa, Rt. hon. Daniel Kidega, of Uganda and Rt. hon. Rebecca Kadaga, the Your Lordship Justice Dr Emmanuel Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda. Ugirashebuja, President of the East African Court of Justice, honourable members of the I have, in accordance with the provisions of East African Legislative Assembly and the Article 4 of the Treaty, invited His Parliament of Uganda, members emeritus of Excellency the President, to address this EALA present, members of the diplomatic corps, senior government officials in 2 Tuesday 23 January 2018 East African Legislative Assembly Debates attendance, representatives of the private seized of the fact that the Third EALA sector and civil society, distinguished guests, collaborated very closely and in a number of ladies and gentlemen. areas with the Parliament of Uganda in general and the Rt. hon. Speaker Kadaga I wish you all a progressive and fruitful year specifically. 2018. I thank the Speaker, Rt. hon. Rebecca Kadaga, the Parliament of Uganda and the I am aware of the fact that the Rt. hon. entire Government of Uganda for accepting Speaker Kadaga inspired and made to host EALA at the commencement of its tremendous contribution to the EAC Bureau Second Meeting of the First Session of the of Speakers which is the political bureau of Fourth Assembly. Speakers that sit regularly to deliberate on the progress of the process of integration. Your Excellency, I thank the Rt. hon. Speaker for the great lengths that she and the In addition, members of staff from across Parliament of Uganda went through to ensure various departments of both Parliament of that our stay is made comfortable right from Uganda and EALA continue to learn and to the period we arrived in Kampala last week. benefit from each other’s experiences. Our presence here today is a further sign of true Rt. hon. Speaker, EALA is cognisant of the friendship and commitment that both fact that your House is currently undertaking institutions enjoy as they strengthen ties and various businesses and in addition, promote the integration process. Parliament of Uganda is hosting the annual Parliament week yet despite your very busy Article 49 of the Treaty for the establishment schedule, you found both space and time to of the East African Community envisages the accommodate us. liaison with the National Assemblies of the Partner States on matters related to the Yesterday, Rt. hon. Kadaga made time to Community. It is pleasing to note that under open our induction programme officially your leadership, the parliamentary where she reassured us of her full Committee on EAC Affairs led by hon. Tony collaboration. We thank you, Rt. hon. Ayoo has continued to remain vibrant. In Speaker and the Parliament of Uganda for fact, this committee and others continuously your generosity. (Applause) interface with EALA through visits by delegations to the headquarters and wherever The members and I are most grateful for your possible in various capitals where we hold magnanimity and true sign of friendship. The our sittings. The experiences shared and relation between the Parliament of Uganda views exchanged have indeed been worth the and EALA continue to be warm and very cordial. Today, both assemblies keep avenues while. open for regular consultations at the That said, I take my initial steps in the new speakership level and among members of role of speakership and I wish to thank you, Parliament. in a special way, for the support you have already and will continue to render me as we We, as the Fourth Assembly, will do all that consult on parliamentary matters and on it takes to strengthen the relations and to take other regional matters that are healthy and them a notch higher. mutual for our institution. As a former member of the Third Assembly My colleagues and I have taken note of your and a returnee to the Fourth Assembly, I am advice when you opened the induction 3 Tuesday 23 January 2018 East African Legislative Assembly Debates meeting yesterday that we need to do more to welcome our sixth delegation of South Sudan take the message of integration and its who are sitting in EALA for the first time. benefits to the people. We shall prioritise You are welcome. sensitisation and outreach programmes in our planning. On that note, Your Excellency, I would like to thank you and the other heads of state for I wish you well as you continue the deserved the commitment that has enabled the East leadership to your Parliament and the much- African Community to grow from three needed guidance to our Assembly. countries of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to five with the inclusion of Rwanda and Your Excellency, it is vital for the region to Burundi and now the sixth member, South continue to be steadfast in its desire to remain Sudan. Thank you so much for the work a strong, united, resilient, influential player in done. the continent and the globe. Today, the region is proud of the achievements of the Customs Your Excellency, yesterday I had an Union, Common Market, the Monetary opportunity to speak to the members during Union and other steps that we will continue the induction. I pointed out the areas of need to undertake. In all endeavours we are but I also told them that they now have the determined to uphold and take forward in this benefit of precedence from the other three Assembly, we shall continue to bank on the assemblies and that we expect them to work support of the Rt. hon. Kadaga and the very hard to fortify the issues of cooperation Parliament of Uganda. and to ensure that the integration is finally realised. On that remark, honourable members, please welcome Rt. hon. Kadaga for her remarks.