East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: June 1, 2016: In a memorable occasion for the East African Legislative Assembly, founding First Ladies of the EAC late yesterday delivered motivating addresses at a Special Sitting held in Arusha.
Looking graceful yet resplendent, Kenya’s Mama Ngina Kenyatta and Uganda’s Mama Miria Obote brought back the good old memories of the first EAC and challenged EALA Members to ensure the future of integration is both guaranteed and realised. The United Republic of Tanzania’s Mama Maria Nyerere sent her apologies. Her family was however represented at the occasion of the Special Sitting by Hon Makongoro Nyerere, who is an elected Member of EALA.
First to take the podium was Mama Miria Obote who was emphatic that the EAC must re-energise itself and strive to be a fully functioning integration bloc. The former First Lady called for prioritisation of economic investment projects including oil refineries, the Standard Gauge Railway, agricultural research, food security and climate change.
A birds eye view of the proceedings
The founding First Lady called for creation of employment opportunities especially for the youth in the region.
“This can be achieved through joint or common East African Community investments such as the ongoing projects between Uganda and Tanzania for the proposed pipeline, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya for the Standard Gauge Railway; Kenya, Ethiopia and the new South Sudan for the Lamu Port. The clear call should be an intensification of efforts across various fields to make our region more integrated”, H.E. Mama Obote said.
She further called for the region to move faster to have an integrated syllabus and curriculum to stabilise the labour market within the EAC.
H.E. Mama Miria Obote delivers her remarks as H.E Mama Ngina Kenyatta pays attention at the Special Sitting in Arusha.
“For instance, a majority of Ugandans have never learnt proper Swahili. We are now learning proper Swahili in schools and in the public engagement. This is the best way towards integration”, Mama Obote said.
Mama Miria Obote was full of praise for the EALA for recognising the contribution of the founding families.
“We are very grateful for EAC and EALA for recognising the contribution of our founding Fathers, Comrade Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta & Comrade Dr. Apolo Milton Obote and we are also thankful to the Almighty God for having kept us alive as former First Ladies of the Independent East African Community, Mama Miria Nyerere, Mama Ngina Kenyatta and I”, Mama Obote said. 
EALA Speaker presents a plaque to Hon Makongoro Nyerere, Member of EALA and son of the founding father of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and H.E. Mama Maria Nyerere.
She further appreciated the Governments of the United Republic of Tanzania, Kenya and their people who as the original Members of the East African Community, understood the social-political challenges of Uganda.
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