Five Ugandan legislators and representatives at the Pan African Parliament have been sworn in to join the continental assembly based in Midrand, South Africa.

The Pan African Parliament is the legislative arm of the African Union comprising Members from National Parliaments of African Union (AU) member states.

The MPs that were sworn in include Anifa Bangirana Kawooya (NRM, Mwawogola West), Felix Okot Ogong (NRM, Dokolo South), who are returning to the Pan African Parliament for the second term, having been part of Uganda’s delegation there during the 10th Parliament.

Others are Juliet Achayo Lodou (NRM, Ngora), Eric Musana (Independent, Buyaga East), and Patrick Nsamba Oshabe (NUP, Kassanda North).

MP Achayo said 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 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.

Uganda’s representatives travelled to South Africa days after their own swearing in to the 11th Parliament held last week and just after the first sitting of the 11th Parliament in which Speaker Jacob Oulanyah and Deputy Speaker Anita Among were elected.

HOW THEY ARE CHOSEN
The five positions to the Pan African Parliament are shared out among the majority party (NRM) taking three; while independents and the official opposition, National Unity Platform (NUP) take one seat each.

The members swore in at the start of the ongoing fourth ordinary session of the fifth Pan African Parliament, presided over by acting president, Chief Fortune Charumbira.
The physical Session being held from May 21 to June 4, under the AU theme or 2021: “Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want’’ 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 COVID-19 pandemic which collapsed the world,” Charumbira said.

The opening ceremony held on May 24, was addressed by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who stressed the need for national parliaments to develop capacity to insist on accountability in all aspects of people’s lives especial in governance”.