Be Careful of Foreign Control: Ugandan MP Cautions Ruto
On Tuesday, March 5th, Paul Mwasa Musamali, a Member of Parliament in the East African Legislative Assembly representing Uganda, urged President William Ruto to be wary of the risks associated with accumulating debt from foreign nations, as it could potentially result in a loss of sovereignty.
During his speech to President Ruto at the special session of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Musamali pointed out that many foreign powers trap African nations with loans but fail to provide adequate options for restructuring collectively.
As per the lawmaker’s perspective, this frequently leads nations to become ensnared in unmanageable levels of debt, putting them in danger of default, a situation he referred to as a form of modern-day colonialism.
“Africa has been a victim of circumstances and some of the things we were not even responsible for. The African people were traded as slaves in the market. The time came when we were divided. As we fought, the colonialists withdrew but as you’re aware, they have come back with neocolonialism,” he warned.
“In fact, they are controlling us both physically and virtually. They are dressed smartly but still controlling us.”
Musamali encouraged Ruto to implement reforms aimed at protecting the East African Community (EAC) countries from facing debt distress.
“Mr President that is a serious threat and therefore it is our responsibility for those in the leadership of East Africa to ensure that we insulate East Africa from these disruptive forces,” Musamali pointed out.
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“Some of these disruptive forces include debt and how the countries can manage debt. It is therefore our responsibility to stand up and be counted or be controlled like before.”
The second concern raised pertained to the allocation of funding for the East African Community. It was observed that the funding is not promptly distributed, with countries frequently citing delays in disbursing the funds.
Additionally, he observed that the sum decreased from $8.3 million (equivalent to Ksh1.1 billion) in 2017 to $7.3 million (equivalent to Ksh1 billion).
He praised Kenya for having already provided its entire share.
When addressing the last concern, Musamali highlighted the necessity for prompt actions to be devised in the recruitment of individuals who will advance and advocate for the EAC’s goals.
The lawmaker emphasized that neglecting proper management of human resources within the EAC could result in the infiltration of corrupt individuals and traders into government offices.
“There’s a need for all partner states to ensure that when you’re deploying people in the service of the community, it should be people who are ideologically oriented and clear about the mission of the East African integration agenda. Otherwise, we risk employing merchants, corrupt people, and collaborators.”
Be Careful of Foreign Control: Ugandan MP Cautions Ruto