Tanzania MPs Arrive In Kampala

By James OdongA DELEGATION of five Tanzanian MPs led by their Speaker, Pius Msekwa, yesterday arrived in Uganda for the 6th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee (IPC) which opens today at Hotel Africana.Among the dignitaries who will participate in the three-day meeting is the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Abdurhman Kinana, who arrived with the Msekwa delegation yesterday. Their Kenyan counterparts were due to arrive at 11:00pm last night.The MPs who arrived at Entebbe Airport earlier than scheduled with no official from Parliament to receive them, were later received at Hotel Africana by Uganda’s Parliament Speaker, Edward Ssekandi.“I am sorry I was unable to meet you at the airport but you are most welcome. I want to assure you that all is set for tomorrow’s meeting,” Ssekandi said as he received Msekwa and his delegation.The Tanzanian Speaker at a brief ceremony held at the hotel lounge, said, “We are delighted to be here. We are sorry for the sudden change in Air Tanzania flight, which made us to arrive earlier than scheduled.”IPC is a consultative forum between parliamentarians from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania on how they can make input into the laws enacted by the Arusha-based East African Legislative Assembly. Ssekandi said the IPC meeting was formed during the drafting of the East African Community Treaty to prepare grounds for the implementation of the treaty.Ends