Uganda fronts Amongin for African Parliament job

PARLIAMENT: Parliament has endorsed Ngora Woman MP Jaqueline Amongin for African Parliament Vice Chairperson.
This has been confirmed by Ms Ismail Ranny, Parliament’s Assistant Director of Communications and Public Affairs.

The development comes just a month after Ms Amongin of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) was

MP Amongin awarded Mandela Leadership Prize

The Mandela prizes are awarded annually to personalities or institutions for their laudable actions in favour of Africa and peace, in the spirit of Pan Africanism

for the year 2017.
The Pan African Parliament is an advisory legislative House to the African Union, established in 2004 and it is composed of 54 nation states.

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MP Amongin awarded Mandela Leadership Prize

The Mandela prizes are awarded annually to personalities or institutions for their laudable actions in favour of Africa and peace, in the spirit of Pan Africanism

Speaking to Daily Monitor about the development, the lawmaker said she was ready for the job, given her experience serving at the same institution.
“I am honoured that I have the support of the Ugandan people and Parliament. I am quite certain I will win this race,” Ms Amongin said.
Ms Amongin was in 2013 elected as the President of the Youth Caucus at the Continental Parliament before becoming the chairperson of the Committee of Rural Economy, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment at the same institution last year.
It is this experience, she hopes to front, in the pursuit for her ambition.

She will, however, have to first win the hearts and support of other regional players such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan, Tanzania and South Sudan for a regional candidate on May 7, 2018 before final polls three days later in Midrand, South Africa.
The Continental Assembly is composed of five regional blocs; East, North, West, Central and North West.
Each bloc is expected to present at least a candidate for the seat.
Ms Amongin’s challenges to the ballot are in the full glare of light, since the core of her support have already fielded candidates, against her.
Ms Amongin says it would only be a great advantage if all her colleagues from the Eastern region endorsed a person of her experience.
She boasts of spearheading the African Youth charter by anti-member countries, which has seen to robust development of youth policies across the continent.

If elected, Ms Amongin says that key pillars in her term will be; Trade and Infrastructural development across the continent, a strong fight against the monstrous climate change and its effects as well as enhancing gender mainstreaming in Africa.
Her argument is that intra-Africa trade should be the bedrock with which a common Pan African spirit should be built, especially given the continent’s potential in Agriculture.

“Africa has a comparative advantage in agriculture yet it cannot consume most of its agro-produce due to infrastructural challenges,” she said.
Regarding Gender Mainstreaming, Ms Amongin said that many African Countries have only left “the commitment on Paper” yet they have an opportunity to implement the undertakings into promoting the quality of their populations, particularly the women and children.
She, however, notes that there are challenges with sovereignty and resource constraints among member countries thus the need to prioritise.

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