Five Ugandan Members of Parliament have taken the oath to represent Uganda in the Pan African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa.
The Pan African Parliament comprises of Members from the National Parliaments of African Union Member States.
The five positions to the Pan African Parliament are shared out among the majority party (NRM) taking three slots, while independents and the party with majority opposition MPs, National Unity Platform (NUP) taking one seat each.
Uganda’s representatives are Anifa Bangirana Kawooya, the MP Mawogola West mp (NRM), Felix Okot Ogong the Dokolo South (NRM), Juliet Achayo Lodou the Ngora MP (NRM), Eric Musana the Buyaga East MP (Independent), and Patrick Nsamba Oshabe the Kassanda North (NUP).
The MPs were sworn in at the start of the ongoing 4th Ordinary Session of the 5th Pan African Parliament, presided over by Acting President, Chief Fortune Charumbira.
Achayo said that the creation of the continental Parliament is based on the ideology of Pan Africanism which encourages the solidarity of Africans worldwide.
“We believe that unity is vital to the economic, social and political progress of people of African descent. Being in the Pan African Parliament, therefore, allows full participation of people from all African states in the development and regional integration of Africa through discussions and decision making on the challenges facing the continent,” she said.
The physical Session is being held under the AU theme for 2021: “Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building Africa We Want’’. It is the first physical meeting being held since early last year due to the outbreak and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I am glad that we are back to operations and business following the challenges of the pandemic Covid-19 which collapsed the world,” said Charumbira.
The opening ceremony was held on Monday, 24 May 2021 and was addressed by Ghanaian President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who stressed the need for National Parliaments to develop the capacity to insist on accountability in all aspects of people’s lives especial in governance.
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