Regional parliamentary sittings will become part of the legislative culture of Parliament, Speaker Anita Among said.
While chairing the second plenary session of the regional sitting at Kaunda Grounds, Gulu City on Thursday, 29 August 2024, Among said regional sittings will allow Members of Parliament to exhaustively deliberate upon the most urgent matters that are intricate to the growth and development of a particular host region.
“As the leadership of the legislature, we intend to have the regional sittings as a salient aspect of our legislative culture and vision of taking Parliament to the people,” Among said.
Among extended the 11th Parliament’s appreciation to President Yoweri Museveni, who graced the sitting, for his immense support to the decision to take Parliament to the people through regional sittings.
Despite the existing challenges of high poverty levels, limited transport infrastructure and post-war effects, among others, the Speaker said Northern Uganda has witnessed remarkable transformation in the urban infrastructural growth, health sector infrastructural growth and the progressive growth of the private sector.
Among said the elevation of Gulu, Lira, and Arua Municipalities into cities has created immense opportunities for the region and, if properly harnessed, will bolster the development of the region.
However, she acknowledged the need to support farmers in Northern Uganda to access the market for their produce and engage in mechanised agriculture and value addition.
“As Northern Uganda, we have a lot of land, we will not go into a 4-acre model, we need mechanisation, irrigation, agricultural enterprise selection, seeds, diary and value addition,” Among said.
She also underscored the need to prioritise transport infrastructure in the northern region to ease market accessibility.
“We have market for the products, but how does what we produce reach Sudan? We therefore, need the roads to be worked on,” she said.
Among said she will submit a memorandum to the President detailing the specifics of the areas of concern of the House, which, among others, include reliable transport and communication, mechanized agriculture, and mind-set change. The same resolutions will also be submitted to relevant government agencies for requisite action.
