Why Ugandans Want MPs to Elect NRM’s Isa Kato for EALA 2022-2027 Term

Details have emerged as to why Ugandans are begging members of Parliament from all political parties to unanimously support the youthful National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Isa Kato alias Ssalongo, to represent Uganda to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in the forthcoming elections.

A Collage of Isa Kato with President Museveni

The electoral process for the fifth Assembly of EALA will commence by September 17 2022, which is at least 90 days before December 17 2022 with a notification from the Clerk of the East African Legislative Assembly to the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Isa Kato’s acts of humility, generosity and hard work have earned him a place in the hearts of the Mps across the political divide and many Ugandans who have asked legislators to support him for the good of the country and the greater lakes region.

A legislator who preferred anonymity from Rubiriizi , told our reporter that the Kato’s ‘4 Point Programme’ of ; Promotion of the Common Markets protocols, Promotion of Tourism, Strategic Security and promotion of Human Rights betrays his ability to represent the country on the regional parliament and his ambition for a federated East Africa.

‘’We are excited as legislators to have such a young, exposed, Knowledgeable and experienced leader. Looking at his manifesto, am sure Kato will be able to perform the major roles of a EALA representative which include; legislating, oversight and representation’’, said an MP.

Others MPs from Mbale , Gulu and Gomba who spoke to us on condition of anonymity ,where not different from their colleagues who are determined to support Kato.

The Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige Kasaija recently said candidates for election to EALA must be citizens of Uganda, qualify to be elected as a Member of Parliament of Uganda, do not hold any public office and are not in the service of the East African Community which gives Kato an automatic sail to Arusha.

‘’Ugandan stakeholders including Mps have decided to join the campaign to have Kato represent his country in the East African Legislative Assembly 2022-2027’’, another NRM regional leader told us.

Speaking to this reporter on phone, Kato who was just from a high profile meeting on Tuesday confirmed his bid explaining that he is focused to support the EAC Partner States to maintain a liberal stance towards the Freedoms of movement for all the factors of production and Rights between themselves.

‘’These Freedoms and Rights include; Free Movement of Goods, Free Movement of Persons, Free Movement of Labour /Workers, Right of Establishment, Right of Residence, Free Movement of Services and Free Movement of Capital’’, he told our reporter’’, he said.

Kato notes that the Common Market is the second Regional Integration milestone of the EAC, which has been in force since 2010, in line with the provisions of the EAC Treaty. It follows the Customs Union, which became fully-fledged in January 2010.

In Promotion of Tourism he says his focus will be on Co-coordinating policies in the tourism industry and establishment of a framework of cooperation in the sector that will ensure equitable distribution of benefits ,establishment of a common code of conduct for private and public tour and travel operators, Standardization of hotel classifications and harmonization of the professional standards of agents and development of a regional strategy for tourism promotion; whereby individual efforts will be reinforced by regional action.

A flamboyant NRM mobiliser, Kato says Cooperation in the tourism sector is provided for under Article 115 of the EAC Treaty, where Partner States undertake to develop a collective and coordinated approach to the promotion and marketing of quality tourism into and within the EAC.

On Strategic Security, he aspires to support EAC Partner States to curb cross-border security threats in the region by addressing transnational organized crimes and terrorism, which pose a threat to the stability of the East African region.

‘’I believe we can bring up policies to counter the financing of terrorism in the Greater Horn of Africa. We are going to achieve this by strengthening the anti-money laundering and financial investigative capacity of countries in the Greater Horn of Africa, in order to disrupt criminal networks and their love of illicit finances. It is important to note that policing has significantly evolved in today’s globalised environment and gone beyond the traditional methods of law enforcement as these have to be complemented with modern technology including reliance on forensic science, intelligence gathering, processing and sharing, and international law enforcement cooperation’’, a well traveled Kato further noted.

He assured support to EAC Partner States to keep abreast with the challenges of contemporary policing, law enforcement agencies; through acquisition of modern tools and technological capacity to acquire, analyze, store and share criminal data.

Human Rights, Kato wants to support the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to ensure the adherence to law, in the interpretation and application of and compliance with the EAC Treaty.

He says the EACJ or ‘the Court’ is one of the organs of the EAC established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the EAC. The Court has jurisdiction over the interpretation and application of the Treaty. It also provides: Advisory Opinions; Preliminary Rulings to National Courts; and Arbitral awards if contracts and agreements confer jurisdiction.

The number of EALA aspirants increases every day, however, political experts argue that with the entrance of individuals like Kato, others are likely to chicken out.

‘’When you have faces like Isa Kato in the race, never be surprised when some of his opponents quit and declare support to him. You all know that Kato is not looking for money but to add his effort on building the EAC successes .He is already a young rich man who wants to use his youthful age to benefit the region’’, said one of the Political commentator.

Besides Politics , Kato is a renowned young Businessman who has invested in Tourism and Hospitality Industry.