The Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) is planning to host the 7th inter-parliamentary games in Juba next year.
This was mooted at the recently concluded 6th inter-parliamentary games held in Kigali, Rwanda. The participants from the six partner states were awarded trophies at a ceremony dubbed as the 11th edition of the EAC inter-parliamentary games.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to participate in the forthcoming tournament as it would soon join the regional bloc as the seventh partner state.
According to a video shared by South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), the Deputy Speaker for Administration and Finance, Parmena Awerial Aluong, said the country was in preparation to host the forthcoming tournament next year.
“I want to assure you that the leadership of Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) in the Republic of South Sudan henceforth remarks on the intensive preparation for hosting this event next year,” said Awerial.
“As I mentioned above, the Right Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of TNLA has the pleasure to invite all the member states of East African Community to attend the next tournament to be held in the Republic of South Sudan’s capital, Juba,” he added
Uganda’s 1st Prime Minister who serves as the Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, noted that the parliamentary games were strategic in uplifting regional integration.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Speaker Martin Ngoga said the tournament had been there for 11 years as the largest of all the tournaments that bring the partner states together.
“For 11 years, we have been organising these games to promote a parliamentary forum process of integration of our region. We have a few more platforms with a similar purpose. We have the Jua-Cali exhibition, We have army games, we have army weeks, we have several platforms.
I think this is the largest and this is the best platform to promote that agenda because if it involves members of parliament, it involves the representatives of the people,” Ngoga said.
The games
The EAC Inter-parliamentary games started more than two weeks ago in Kigali, Rwanda, as legislators fought hard to secure their grounds in a tug of war games and athletics. The games also involved volleyball, netball and football.
There was a pre-tournament conference to encourage friendliness before the games started. The EALA Speaker Daniel Fred Kidega called on the parliaments to use sport to enhance integration.
“This week, we would like all citizens of Kigali and its environs to come and participate in the games”, he said.
“The games should bring out the best in us in terms of a spirit of friendship and camaraderie. This is the only way we can enhance integration”, he added.
The leader of the delegation of the Bunge Sports Club, Kenya, Wafula Wamunyinyi, said the region’s legislators would bolster the integration process through collaboration in the sports.
Bernard Mulengani of EALA said the decision by the EAC Speakers’ Bureau to institutionalise the annual games was noble.
Games Statistics
In the category of athletics, the 100 metres race was won by Isaac Melly from Kenyan Parliament in 11.67 seconds as David Ochieng from Kenya secured the second position in 30 seconds.
Wesley Korir, who is the former Boston Marathon Champion, won the 800 metres race in 2 minutes 19 seconds as Kisoi Munyao secured the second position. Semasaka Gabriel of Rwanda came third in this category.
The women’s category had Rwanda’s Petronile Mukandekezi winning the 100 metres race at 16.22 seconds while Nyirahirwa Venerandana came second. Kenya’s Eusillah Ngenyof was the third at 16.54 seconds.
Rwanda’s Annonce Manirarora won the 800 metres race in 4 minutes 44 seconds while Dorcas Ngeny, from the Kenyan Parliament and Nancy Abisai of EALA came in second and third positions respectively.
In the men’s category of the Tug- of- War, Kenya’s Parliament beat Rwanda’s Parliament and the EALA Parliament by 2-1 pull respectively while EALA got 2-1 pulls to entrance Rwanda’s Parliament.
In the women’s category, the Parliament of Kenya also won after beating both EALA and Rwanda on two similar pulls margins. Earlier on, the Parliament of Rwanda had held on to pull twice over EALA.