The Speaker hands over a book on the history of Parliament since 1962 to the head of the Dutch Parliamentary Delegation

She made the call while meeting Members of Parliament from Netherlands on the Committee on Foreign Trade and Cooperation, who paid a courtesy call on her Thursday, 12 July 2018.
The visiting MPs discussed with the Speaker issues relating to legislative support to foreign investors, economic relations with Dutch companies in Uganda, and Uganda’s position in the African Union.
Kadaga noted that Uganda was one of the most prominent Pan African countries that have supported many liberation struggles of African nations including South Africa and Liberia among others.
“One of our proudest achievements as a small country is the pacification of Somalia. We have also done some work in the Central African Republic and our President has worked on the conflict between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar,” Kadaga said.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon Winfred Kiiza also attended the meeting

She also said that amendments to improve the country’s investment climate were in the offing, including incentives for investors such as free trade zones and industrial parks under the investment code.
Kadaga noted that Uganda was the second largest refugee hosting country in the world with an open door policy and called for support to handle the situation.
“We need support for infrastructure rehabilitation in host communities because trucks that take relief food to villages damage the roads because such roads are meant for small cars,” Kadaga added.
Asked about her take on the immigration policy of Europe, the Speaker said that it was in the interest of European legislators and leaders to improve orderly access to Europe, and that “…it is important for you to invest in Africa so that we can stay here.”

Hon. Raymond de Roon (Party for Freedom) said they would visit refugee camps including the Kiryandongo refugee settlement project to assess the situation and take a report back to Parliament in the Netherlands.
The meeting was also attended by the Dutch Ambassador to Uganda; the Leader of the Opposition Winfred Kiiza, Parliamentary Commissioners and the Clerk to Parliament.

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Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Hon. Babirye Kadogo (Ind. Buyende) who were sworn in as the new members of the Pan African Parliament.

The members who were sworn in include Hon. Jacqueline Amongin (NRM, Ngora), also the Leader of the PAP delegation; Prof. Ogenga Latigo (FDC, Agago North); Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Sembabule); Hon. Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South) and Hon. Babirye Kadogo (Ind. Buyende). Other new members sworn in were from the Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Niger, Mauritania and Zambia.

In their oath, the Members pledged to “…be faithful and bear true allegiance to the African Union…preserve, protect and defend the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the protocol of the Treaty…promote adherence to the principles of good governance, democracy and human rights, international humanitarian law, peace, stability and all objectives of the Pan African Parliament.”

The PAP is one of the organs of the African Union and comprises five members from each of the 54 African Parliaments. Established in March 2004, the legislature has its headquarters in Midrand, South Africa.

The objectives of the PAP are, among others, to promote peace, security and stability in the region; facilitate cooperation and development in Africa; promote human rights and democracy and to encourage good governance, transparency and accountability in member states.

In his welcome remarks to the new and returning Members, the PAP President, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang, reiterated his call for the need for member states to sign and ratify the Malabo Protocol.

It was envisaged from the onset that PAP should have full legislative powers but as it stands now, the organ exercises only consultative and advisory powers. However, with the revised Malabo Protocol to the Constitutive Act of the African Union on the PAP, which was adopted by a decision of the AU Assembly in 2014, in Equatorial Guinea, there are plans to give the body full legislative functions with its Members elected from outside the membership of national parliaments.

Women representation improving

In a related event, the Secretary General of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Mr. Martin Chungong, has said that Parliaments in the Arab world and in Africa are becoming more assertive and representative, in terms of women, minorities and youth.

“Africa is faring well, women representation accounts for 23% and 18% in Africa and the Arab world respectively,” he said adding; “We also want to see parliaments made of men and women who uphold integrity in their own right and in society.”

Mr Chungong was addressing PAP Members in a joint meeting of the PAP and the Arab Parliament, which was attended by the Speakers of the National Assembly of Egypt, the Arab Parliament, the PAP President and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

He extended an invitation to the leadership of the PAP to take necessary steps to join the IPU.

The third Ordinary Session of the PAP is sitting from 10th – 19th October 2016 in Cairo, Egypt.

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United States of America’s Special Forces, elite Green Berets and Navy SEALS have declined to go deep in the jungles of the Central African Republic to hunt of LRA rebels and their leader, Gen. Joseph Kony.

According to the former LRA fighters Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces soldiers have been capturing in the Garamba forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Obo forests of the Central African Republic, Joseph Kony is a military general in the LRA rankings.

Recently US deployed over 100 elite Special Forces in the forests of the Central African Republic to remove LRA rebels and their leader Joseph Kony from the bushes.

However we have been informed that the US forces together with their commander, Capt. Gregory, have declined to venture into the dense jungles of the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight and locate Joseph Kony and his LRA rebels.

The US army is currently stationed at their operating bases in Obo (Central African Republic), Nzara (South Sudan), Djema (Central African Republic) and Ddungu (in the Democratic Republic of Congo near Garamba forests) only analysing intelligence information given to them by the UPDF soldiers.

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The US soldiers helping Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and the Central African Republic to hunt Kony would have bombed the place where Kony is hiding but doing this would lead to death of many people he is surrounded with.

A source in the UPDF further tells us that US wants to have Kony arrested alive such that he is taken to the International Criminal Court.

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