In a memorable occasion for the East
African Legislative Assembly (EALA), founding First Ladies of the EAC
delivered motivating addresses at a Special Sitting held at the EALA
chambers in Arusha. Kenya’s Mama Ngina Kenyatta and Uganda’s Mama Miria
Obote managed to bring back the good old memories of the first EAC and
challenged EALA members to ensure the future of integration is both
guaranteed and realised.
Mama Maria Nyerere sent her apologies.
Her family was, however, represented at the occasion of the Special
Sitting by Mr Makongoro Nyerere, who is an elected member of EALA.
First to take the podium was Mama Miria
Obote who was emphatic that the EAC must re-energise itself and strive
to be a fully functioning integration bloc. The former First Lady called
for prioritisation of economic investment projects including oil
refineries, the Standard Gauge Railway, agricultural research, food
security and climate change.
The founding First Lady called for
creation of employment opportunities especially for the youth in the
region. “This can be achieved through joint or common EAC investments
such as the on-going projects between Uganda and Tanzania for the
proposed pipeline, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya for the Standard
Gauge Railway; Kenya, Ethiopia and the new South Sudan for the Lamu
Port.
The clear call should be an
intensification of efforts across various fields to make our region more
integrated”, H.E. Mama Obote said. She further called for the region to
move faster to have an integrated syllabus and curriculum to stabilise
the labour market within the EAC.
“For instance, a majority of Ugandans
have never learnt proper Kiswahili. We are now learning proper Kiswahili
in schools and in the public engagement. This is the best way towards
integration,” Mama Obote said.
Mama Obote was full of praise for the
EALA for recognising the contribution of the founding families. “We are
very grateful for EAC and EALA for recognising the contribution of our
founding Fathers, Comrade Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and
Comrade Dr Apolo Milton Obote and we are also thankful to the Almighty
God for having kept us alive as former First Ladies of the Independent
East African Community, Mama Nyerere, Mama Ngina Kenyatta and I”, Mama
Obote said.
She further appreciated the Governments
of the United Republic of Tanzania, Kenya and their people who as the
original Members of the EAC, understood the social-political challenges
of Uganda.
“They welcomed, sheltered and catered
for our people as political refugees. This spirit of togetherness was
extended to Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the
new South Sudan.
Not only for receiving and hosting
refugees but also for walking the extra mile and facilitating peace
talks, for example,” Mama Obote said. Mama Ngina Kenyatta informed the
Sitting that EAC’s founding fathers had “walked and worked tirelessly”
in anticipation of unity of the region. “In 1967, all three of us were
witness to the establishment of a Community that spoke to that shared
sentiment.
The EAC was built on the understanding
that our nations and our peoples were stronger together. I request you
to keep the hope of the founding fathers alive and to ensure that unity
in the region is achieved”, Mama Ngina said.
“It is a credit to your hard work and
persistence - and the hard work and persistence of your respective
governments - that today, that Community is more vibrant and active than
ever”, the former First Lady added.
The first lady informed the August House
that the region was on the verge of realizing the dream of integration.
She challenged EALA and the current EAC to strive to ensure disunity
and mistrust was removed in a bid to strengthen integration.
Hon Miria Obote was accompanied by her
son, Mr James Akena while Mama Ngina Kenyatta’s entourage consisted of
her family members including Mrs Wambui, Kristina Pratt, Selina Renee
Pratt, Members of the Parliament of Kenya, women leaders from Central
Kenya and representatives of the Mount Kenya University.
Welcoming the founding First Ladies of
Independence, Speaker of EALA, Mr Daniel Fred Kidega, lauded them for
their contribution to the integration process. “We are happy that you
still show leadership in your own rights and continue to be involved in
numerous humanitarian causes throughout the EAC region much akin to your
active and prolific years when you worked for political and social
justice and advocated for a wide range of human rights issues,” the
speaker said.
They were described as encyclopaedias
and repositories of information, who despite ageing gracefully, still
credit, follow developments of this great region, and are supportive of
the EAC unto this day.
Late last year, Mama Ngina Kenyatta met
with the EALA Kenya Chapter in Gatundu, Kenya, while in August 2014; a
group of EALA Women Members paid a courtesy call on Mama Maria Nyerere
in Dar es Salaam.
Mama Obote on her part, is still
involved in the political spheres in Uganda and continues to follow
developments at the EAC closely from Uganda House in Kampala”, the
Speaker added.
The Speaker remarked that the
integration process was on course and that it was stronger. “Indeed, in
retrospect, the collapse of the Community in 1977 was a sad and
catastrophic affair, a great loss in opportunities and setback for the
region.
But today, I stand here convinced that
the steps we have taken as a Community since its re-establishment are
fundamentally underpinned on the Treaty for the establishment of the EAC
and we are on course for full integration of the region”.
The Assembly at its Sitting 5th Meeting
of the 4th session on March 16th, 2016, passed a Resolution recognising
the role you all continue to play in galvanizing East Africa in the
integration process and in the service of East Africans as “informal
Institutional Memory”. The Resolution was moved by Hon Mumbi Ngaru
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