Mombasa, (UG):- The Deputy Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa has revealed that sport can be used as an important driver in speeding up the East African Community (EAC) integration process among the member countries.
Speaking at the 14th EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, Tayebwa emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary democracy within the EAC, building a sense of unity among the partner states.
“Sports is very important because most of the members in the region do not know each other and yet they are supposed to pass laws that are key for the integration process. We are now much closer at the people representative level,” Tayebwa said.
The Deputy Speaker expressed his delight at the participation of Kenyan President William Ruto on the opening day of the games in Mombasa describing Ruto’s presence as a significant show of commitment from the leadership of the region towards the integration process.
“I hope the executives can take it up from here. It means a lot for the integration process, and we are ready to support and market it, while also listening to the challenges faced by each country,” he remarked.
Tayebwa also touched on the health benefits of sports, noting that the games are a preventive measure against non-communicable diseases. He pointed out that many participants have spent over three months in preparation, staying active and healthy.
“By engaging in these games, we are saving many members from needing treatment for illnesses. They’ve had over three months of exercise in preparation.”
Tayebwa who led Team Uganda in the golf tournament at the Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa expressed confidence in Uganda’s prospects, aiming to retain the overall championship title won in Kigali, Rwanda. “I expect the team to win all the key prizes in the golf competition,” he said
In the games played so far, Uganda beat Kenya 3-1 in football with Tanzania drawing with Burundi 1-1, while in basketball, the Uganda men’s team beat Burundi 50-36 while the women’s team beat Kenya 66-13.
In netball, the Uganda ladies team beat Kenya by three sets to one while their male counterparts lost to Kenya by the same score.
In the track and field events, Uganda aced the 100M races for both the men and women, the 1500M for men and came second in the women’s race.
The 14th EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games, which began on December 6, 2024, are set to run until December 18, 2024.
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