Speaker asks India for more support in innovation
PARLIAMENT.
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has asked India to open doors in helping Uganda and Africa in the field of research and innovation.
While hosting India’s vice President, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, yesterday, Ms Kadaga said although the relationship between India and the continent dates far back, Africa has largely been customers to innovations and is yet to have a ground breaking innovation the world can buy.
“We are customers and if we are not careful we will continue being customers. We need to start innovation. Let Africa invent something for change,” she said.
Ms Kadaga was hosting Mr Ansari as a courtesy gesture to the vice President who is in the country on a three day official visit.
Strengthening of diplomatic ties
Ms Kadaga asked for more collaboration between the Parliaments of Uganda and India especially in the field of diplomacy.
“We appreciate the long term role of India in developing Africa. We should continue working together. We also need to grow parliamentary relations and training in issues of diplomacy and exchange of delegations,” she said.
Appreciating the speaker for hosting him, Mr Ansari, who was returning from Jinja where he had gone to visit the Source of the Nile, said India’s focus and relationship with Uganda can only continue to grow.
He promised to follow up on all the requests made to ensure they come to pass.
He asked the Speaker to share the trick Uganda used to ensure they attract more women to Parliament.
“Our visit would have been incomplete without us visiting Parliament. You have to teach us how you have managed to get more women in Parliament. Our aspiration is how to make our friendship stronger,” Mr Ansari said adding that: “India’s aspiration has from the onset been on sharing experience that we have acquired over time. We decided to empower populations through education and scientific research and the results can be seen. We are willing to share in the field.”
