Members of Parliament yesterday rejected a statement of the cabinet, on the East African Integration, for lack of an honest take on existing regional challenges.
The Minister of State for the East African Community has presented a Statement to urge members to mobilise the population to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Regional Block but avoided the present challenges; the expulsion of Ugandans by Tanzania, the closed Uganda-Rwanda border at Katuna and the unfinished Standard gauge Railway.
This “careful trading” instead, attracted anger from lawmakers, with most of them accusing the minister of total disrespect both to Parliament and the Citizens.
Kiira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju went first asking the minister to explain what Uganda traders should be celebrating with a closed border.
Bufumbira County MP, Sam Bitangaro said they have nothing to celebrate because the people of Kisoro district which neighbours Rwanda are being killed, business is paralysed and social relations are at standstill.
The Speaker Rebecca Kadaga then tasked the government to return on Tuesday next week with a better statement highlighting key milestones of the Community; an updated status of Uganda’s property in Mombasa and Kisumu and a clear statement on the Uganda-Rwanda relations.
