Abdirahin Haithar Abdi Outgoing Speaker of East African Legislative Assembly

After announcing the winners in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) elections on Wednesday evening ,Uganda’s speaker of Parliament Rebbecca Kadaga also noted that it is high time a Ugandan took over the post of the east African parliament speaker.”It is high high for Uganda to also take up the post of EALA Speaker.”she said.

Speaker Kadaga has also made efforts to to lobby for the post  among Tanzanian legislators.Kadaga  while addressing  a delegation of MPs from Tanzania led by Dr Maua Abeid Daftari at her office noted that Uganda backed  Tanzania and later Kenya on a rotation basis to secure the post. She told the visiting legislators that it is right for Uganda to take up the position in the 3rd EALA parliament.He called upon legislatures from the Tanzanian Parliament to instruct their representatives to the Assembly to support Uganda’s candidature.

Since the East African Legislative Assembly was established in 2002 ,speakers  of EALA have been from Tanzania and Kenya.The first  EALA  speaker was Abdulrahman Kinana from Tanzania,he served from 2002 to 2007 .Kinana was succeeded by Abdirahin Haithar Abdi who is from Kenya.Uganda says the speaker should  this time come from Uganda.

Abdirahin  will step down early next month,so the post will be vacant.Speaker of the Assembly is elected on a  rotational basis by EALA members from among themselves to serve for a five-year term and vacate the office upon expiry of the period.The speaker in this time  should either come from Uganda, Burundi or  Rwanda.

Uganda’s representatives in the 3rd EALA  include MPs Dora Byamukama, Daniel Kidega, Margaret Zziwa, Bernard Mulengani, Mike Kennedy Sebalu, Nusura Tiperu, and new entrants Fred Mukasa Mbidde, Chris Okumu Opoka and Susan Nakawuki.Among the nine legislators ,six members of the 2nd East African Legislative Assembly are back in the 3rd parliament.

By Martha Nakimuli