Uganda has been left sole organiser of the East African Community games after Parliaments in Rwanda and South Sudan boycotted the games, choosing not to send delegates and to further rub salt into the wound, the two nations didn’t explain why they boycotted the games.
The 10th edition of the annual East African Community Inter-Parliamentary games will kick off with football and netball matches between Parliament of Uganda staff and their colleagues from the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), on Sunday 8, December 2019.
EALA is organising while Parliament of Uganda is hosting the games that will run at various venues in Kampala and Wakiso until 18 December 2019. The first match will be held at St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende.
This year’s games have attracted the national parliaments of Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and EALA, the regional assembly.
The Chairperson, Organising Committee, Hon. Peter Ogwang, said that the games are going to be a chance to enhance relations between the participating member states.
“We hope to use this opportunity to interact and build further on the block of integration; we encourage everyone to embrace the East African Community,” Ogwang said at a press conference held at Parliament Building on Friday 6 December 2019.
The games which are a symbol of fostering integration in the East African region will be played under the theme; “EAC one spirit, one destiny – Strengthening Integration through 10 years of Inter-Parliamentary Games.”
The opening event will start with a a pre-tournament conference discussing the achievements of the EAC before a march by all participants from Parliament Building to Kibuye, along the way to St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende, one of the venues of the games.
The competition brings together participants from the six national parliaments, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and EALA.
However, Ogwang said that Rwanda and South Sudan will not be able to participate in the games for reasons not communicated to the Parliament of Uganda.
“We were informed by EALA who are the organisers of this tournament that the two member states will not attend for various reasons that are unclear,” he said.
The games will be held at KCCA Grounds, MTN Indoor Arena Lugogo, St. Mary’s Secondary School Kitende, Parliament and Serena Kigo and Entebbe Golf Course.
The games will involve: football, netball, volleyball, basketball, athletics, golf, tug of war and darts.
