Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro was Thursday evening appointed as the Sitting President of the Forum of Parliaments of Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR).
The appointment of a Kenyan into the highly regarded position comes at a time when the region is faced with a myriad of challenges related to security and youth unemployment.
During his one year term, Mr Ethuro’s overall duty will be the management of the Forum and he will be the political and diplomatic representative of the Forum.
As President, he will also be expected to chair the Plenary Assembly of the FP-ICGLR which is the supreme organ with authority to deliberate on all matters relating to the powers and duties of the Forum.
During the plenary assembly, the delegates took time to strongly condemn acts of terrorism in the Great Lakes region in general and in particular those committed by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab in Kenya.
The Assembly observed that the terror group has caused enormous loss of life and property and expressed deep sympathy to the victims and their families, the people and the Kenyan Government.
OUTGOING PRESIDENT
The outgoing FP-ICGLR president who is the speaker of the Burundi National Assembly Pie Ntavyohanyuma handed over the mantle to Mr Ethuro who was appointed through consensus by parliaments of Member States as president-elect during the fourth Ordinary Session of the FP-ICGLR held in Bujumbura.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate the Right Honourable Ekwee Ethuro, Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya as he takes up the leadership of this forum. I am confident that he will steer us toward our ambitious goals,” Mr Ntavyohanyuma stated.
He also lauded the government of Kenya and particularly the Senate for hosting the fifth Ordinary Session and the hospitality extended to member countries.
“I am greatly humbled by the honour of being elected the President of the PF-ICGLR at this Fifth Ordinary Session of the Plenary Assembly of the Forum of Parliaments of Member States of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region PF-ICGR,” Mr Ethuro said at Laico Regency Hotel, Nairobi, as he delivered his acceptance speech.
While acknowledging that spearheading the forum was not a light responsibility, he promised to undertake his new responsibilities with the commitment and dedication it deserves.
He congratulated the Parliament of the Republic of Angola which was admitted as a full member of the FP-ICGLR.
MEMBERSHIP EXPANDED
“I come to the helm of FP-ICGLR when the membership has expanded. It is such a great honour for me as a person, the Parliament of the Republic of Kenya and indeed our beloved country, Kenya,” Mr Ethuro said.
Kenyan delegates who attended the forum included Senators Beatrice Elachi (Majority Whip, APK), Beth Mugo (Nominated, TNA), Mike Mbuvi Sonko (Nairobi, TNA), Peter Mositet (Kajiado, TNA), John Lonyangopuo (West Pokot, Kanu), Zipporah Kittony (Nominated, Kanu), Naisula Lesuuda (Nominated, TNA) and Dr Agnes Zani (Nominated, ODM).
The FP-ICGLR is an inter-parliamentary organisation bringing together 12 African parliaments from the Great Lakes region consisting of Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The FP-ICGLR is committed to bringing a significant parliamentary contribution to the implementation of the Pact on Stability, Security and Development in the Great Lakes region that was adopted by member states in 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya.
From 2010 and 2013 The FP-ICGLR had held four ordinary sessions of the Plenary Assembly in Khartoum, Kampala, Kinshasa and Bujumbura respectively.
