Kadaga: I am back to steer the E. African integration

Former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has pledged to ensure the full realisation of the East African Community integration.

Ms Kadaga made the pledge on Wednesday while she was sworn in as the Minister for East African Affairs at the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania.

Before Ms Kadaga took Oath of Allegiance to the assembly, she paid a courtesy call to the regional Speaker, Mr Martin Ngoga.

She later, met Uganda’s representatives to the assembly, who ushered her to the chambers to take the oath.

In her brief maiden speech, Ms Kadaga said she was not a stranger on matters of the region and she was pleased to be back home.

“In 1986, I was appointed the Minister in charge of Regional Cooperation and part of my docket was the East African Community, so I came in a time when the community was starting. I am now back,” Ms Kadaga said.

Legislation

Speaker Ngoga said the assembly was pleased to have two speakers in the house, with Ms Kadaga coming in with a vast experience of 27 years in legislation, 10 of which she was a Deputy Speaker and 10 as Speaker.

Ms Kadaga said: “Our work will be to coordinate all the activities to ensure the integration ultimately achieves the political confederation.”

Uganda’s representative, Ms Mary Mugyenyi, said Ms Kadaga brings in a wealth of experience in legislation and leadership skills.

Ms Fred Mukasa Mbidde, another representative to the assembly, said he would not be surprised to see Kadaga become a summit member, meaning the president of Uganda.

Ms Kadaga takes over from Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, who was reassigned to the Internal Affairs docket by President Museveni in last month’s Cabinet appointments.

In a heated race for the Speaker job in May this year, Ms Kadaga was trounced by her deputy, Mr Jacob Oulanyah.

President Museveni later in his new Cabinet appointed her as the first deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs.

The swearing-in of Ms Kadaga at the regional legislative assembly, comes barely a week after she took oath as the First Deputy premier.

The East African Community is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha.

Democratic Republic of Congo is in advanced stages of being incorporated into the community