Uganda’s Minister for East African Community, Major General (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, took Oath of Allegiance as an Ex-Officio Member of the Assembly.
Otafiire was sworn in by the Clerk to the Assembly at a brief ceremony witnessed by the Speaker and Members of EALA in line with the Rule 5 of the Rules and Procedures of the Assembly. The Rule says in part that: “No Member can sit or participate in the proceedings of the House until the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance to the Treaty is taken”.
Rule 5(5) specifically states that “when a member first attends to take his or her seat other than at the first stting of a new house, he or she shall be brought to the table by two members and presented by them to the Speaker who shall then administer the Oath or affirmation of allegiance”.
Maj. Gen.(Rtd) Otafiire was ushered in to the House by EALA members, Hon George Odongo and Hon Simon Mbugua, Kasamba Mathias, Susan Nakawuki, Dr Abdulla Makame, Thomas Dut, HFancy Nkuhi and Rose Akol were also in tow.
Leontine Nzeyimana, who was elected to preside over the house in absence of the substantive EALA Speaker, Martin Ngoga Karoli, congratulated Gen. Otafiire upon his swearing in as he assumes his ex-officio role in the regional August House.
Gen. Otafiire was appointed to the Ministry by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in December 2019, replacing second Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Ali Kirunda Kivenjija who moved to Office of the President. The newly appointed minister has held several government portfolios including the ministerial docket at the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Ministry. Otafiire who is a former Member of Parliament for Ruhinda County, is deputized in the EAC ministry by Julius Wandera Maganda.
In 2001, he was appointed Minister of State for Regional Co-operation, a position he held until 2003. In that year, he was appointed Minister of Land, Water and the Environment where he served in the capacity for three years. Otafiire has also served as Minister for Local Government, prior to becoming Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry in February 2009. He served in that capacity until he was appointed Uganda’s Justice Minister in May 2011.
Prior to that, the Otafiire served as a Minister of State for Internal Affairs (1986-88). He also served as the Director General of the External Security Organization (1992-1994), before becoming a delegate to the Constituent Assembly, that drafted the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
Gen Otafire, who is a retired military officer (Major General) and politician, holds a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Makerere University and a certificate in French language.
In his maiden statement on the floor, Otafiire assured the house of his commitment to ensure integration is realized. “I promise to work hard to strengthen EAC integration to ensure the dreams of our forefathers becomes a reality”, he stated.
The chairperson of the EALA Uganda chapter, George Odongo, hailed Otafiire as an experienced and visionary leader. “This house is lucky at this point in time to have a person of Otafiire’s caliber, a passionate leader and Pan Africanist who does not believe in borders”, he said.
