What The Pan African Parliament Is All About

By Joyce Namutebi
THE inauguration of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) on March 18 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will be a major step towards the integration of the African peoples.
The chairperson of the African Union’s (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Joachim Chissano, is expected to preside over the inaugural session until the president of PAP is elected.
The race for Uganda’s five seats to PAP was not an easy one.
Eighteen MPs, including a former presidential candidate, presented their credentials to the House last December.
Two women and three men, well-grounded in legal, finance, international relations, political affairs and gender issues, among others, are set to enrich the proceedings of PAP.
Uganda joins PAP with high hopes of winning the seat of vice-president for the eastern region.
Fellow MPs who elected the representatives want to see them accomplish specific tasks. Below are the five legislators and what they hope to accomplish;

Ssalongo Mike Kennedy Sebalu (Busiro East):
Being part of Uganda’s delegation to a meeting of African parliaments on PAP held in Cape Town, South Africa from June 30 to July 1, 2003, opened his eyes to new heights.
The purpose of the meeting was to examine the progress so far attained in the establishment of PAP. At the end of it, Sebalu came to the House with Betty Amongi (Apac), a colleague with whom they went to South Africa, and presented a report on what transpired.
Sebalu says he notified Parliament that Uganda had not ratified the protocol to the treaty establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) relating to PAP.
He followed the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Uganda later ratified the protocol in Maputo.
Sebalu’s efforts, combined with being a Master of Arts student in international relations and diplomatic Studies, a member of the committee on presidential and foreign affairs since the 7th Parliament and a member of the Young Parliamentary Association (YPA), could have given the 38-year-old Sebalu an edge over other candidates.
During his campaigns, he caused laughter when he told MPs to elect him because he was “technically grounded, academically qualified, intellectually sound, politically clear and objective, socially interactive, diplomatically well schooled both in theory and practice”.
He participated in the Constituent Assembly as a representative of the youth of the central region. He was once an administrative officer in Office of the President.
He says he has been pursuing matters of African integration for a long time and has been consistently interested in foreign affairs.

Outspoken Miria Koburunga Matembe (Mbarara) started her political career as secretary for mass mobilisation and education in Kampala district during the early days of the National Resistance Movement.
Until last year, she was Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity, a post she held for five years. She was a delegate to the Constituent Assembly. She has been MP for almost 15 years.
The assertive woman activist captivated fellow legislators as she counted her numerous achievements. Amidst applause, she said, “The eloquent and humourous manner in which I articulate issues under debate is a quality highly required of a legislator. I am also blessed with the capacity to hold my audience alert and interested.”
The 51-year-old mother of four, who never fails to talk about God’s goodness on many occasions, narrated an occasion in New York when she received an award as one of the 100 heroines of the world who had distinguished themselves on issues of equality and women’s empowerment. “Can you imagine what an asset I am?” she says.

Matembe holds a Master’s Degree in Law and Development from the University of Warwick in addition to a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University.
In 1979, she worked as State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice.
She is well known for standing her ground on national issues. She has more than 20 years’ experience in legal, human rights work, parliamentary practice and government business.
Her accomplishments include being founder member of Women in Law and Development in Africa, and FEMINET. She was chairperson of Action For Development, a women’s advocacy organisation.
Her agenda in PAP is to attend to all areas of concern to the assembly but also pay special attention to issues of democracy, good governance, gender and human rights, ethical and children issues.
“Representing Uganda on regional and international forums has been a cup of tea to me,” Matembe says.
She led parliamentary delegations to India (1992) and Canberra (1993), where she was elected Africa’s representative on the Human Rights Commission of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. She one time led a delegation to the 26th Africa Parliamentary Union Conference in Ghana.

Loice Biira Bwambale (Kasese woman), 52, won the woman’s seat on PAP.
She is the chairperson of Uganda Parliamentary Women Association.
When Ndawula Kaweesi (Kiboga West) is not chairing the committee on natural resources, you find Bwambale, the vice-chairperson, bridging the gap.
The former deputy minister of women in development, youth and culture, intends to engender all institutions of PAP, NEPAD and the AU, including the formation of the Pan-African Women Parliamentary Association to press for gender equality.
“I will ensure that PAP conforms to its objectives,” the mother of four says.
She intends to promote the potential of Uganda’s natural resources and trade opportunities.
Bwambale graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelor of Science, and a diploma in education. She is pursuing a Master’s Degree in educational management and planning at Makerere University.
Bwambale founded and taught in some schools in and out of her district.

Fred Mandir Omach (Jonam): Being a new face in Parliament did not stop colleagues from spotting qualities of the MP born on April 16, 1953.
They elected him vice-chairperson of the committee on finance.
Omach, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and social administration, goes to PAP with 22 years’ experience in banking. He worked in the then Uganda Commercial Bank in various posts beginning in 1984.
During his campaign for the seat on PAP, Omach told the House, “As I go, I know the issues that are facing Africa.”
He said Africa needs economists and people who understand how to get it out of poverty.
“I will be the right person to do this,” he said.
He pledges to ensure Africa integrates at both regional and international level.
Omach emphasises the need for Pan-African military presence so that Africans will rule Africa. He stressed women’s emancipation since women are the majority in Africa.
Omach pledges to articulate the importance of education, a disease free Africa, the need for animal traction and tree planting.

Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri) would be another good asset on legal matters.
The 38-year-old holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University and a Diploma in Legal Practice froms the Law Development Centre.
Once a deputy legal consultant to the Kenya Constitutional Review Commission, Katuntu says, “We are basically ambassadors.”
He says they will look at how to uplift the continent, which is hit by poverty and denial of human rights and insecurity in some countries.
He says they will look at Uganda’s economic policies, national objectives in terms of good governance and constitutionalism and how they relate to other countries.
He says they will consider whether countries can have an independent economic policy or whether it is viable to have a regional one.
They will look at how East Africa relates with other economic regions like ECOWAS, the gender policy and how it relates to that of other countries and the actualisation of the objectives of NEPAD.
Ends