A delegation of senior East African Speakers of Parliament paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe.
The team currently in Uganda for the launch of the East African Community (EAC) Parliamentary Games included Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda (host); Rt. Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana, Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly; Rt. Hon. Moses Wetang’ula, Speaker of Kenya’s National Assembly; Rt. Hon. Alberta Mukabaramba, Speaker of the Rwandan Senate; Rt. Hon. Clotilde Kampimbare, Second Vice President of the Senate of Burundi; and Hon. Tarimba Abbas, who led the Tanzanian delegation and chairs the Parliamentary Sports Club.
This engagement an unprecedented meeting between the CDF and a joint body of regional Speakers signals a meaningful step toward enhancing cooperation and mutual understanding between East Africa’s legislative institutions and security leadership.
The Speakers are in Uganda following the formal opening of the EAC Parliamentary Games on 6 December 2024, an event hosted by Uganda. The Games remain an essential avenue for strengthening people-to-people connections, encouraging friendship, and promoting constructive competition among legislators from the EAC partner states.
In their discussions, the Speakers collectively stressed the significance of the Games in advancing regional cohesion, fostering unity, and deepening integration within the East African Community. They acknowledged sports as a unifying force capable of strengthening relationships and reinforcing the shared aspirations of the region.
The delegation also expressed appreciation to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his continued dedication to the East African integration agenda. They further thanked the Government of Uganda for accepting to host this year’s Parliamentary Games at short notice.
Gen. Muhoozi, who also serves as Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, warmly received the delegation and applauded their commitment to nurturing regional harmony.
