The delay to appoint a minister for East African Community affairs has rubbed MPs the wrong way.

The chairperson of the committee on EAC, Tonny Ayoo said Tuesday that absence of a substantive minister for EAC was bogging down their work.

The position has been vacant since the death of Eriya Kategaya early 2013. Kategaya also served as the First Deputy Prime Minister.

On Sunday President Yoweri Museveni made a cabinet reshuffle, but no one was named minister EAC. Currently, there is only a minister of state.

Ayoo said that the only minister there is, is overstretched. “Sometimes we want him for business here, he is not there. So many things have not been handled,” he said, adding that one minister is supposed to be resident in Arusha to coordinate the operations of the Community.

“The President should rethink his position so that one person from among the over 30 million Ugandans is got and appointed minister for EAC,” he said.

He recalled that last time they held discussion on the budget of the Ministry without the minister.

He observed that there are ministries having four ministers and yet the Ministry of EAC is equally important.

Pending issues he cited include harmonization of laws, putting in place an EAC policy and ensuring that ministries mainstream eac issues.

Ayoo said the presence of the minister is of paramount importance when the committee goes out to sensitise people on issues of integration

Source: New Vision

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