Nairobi — Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has challenged Parliaments in Africa to unite and take bold steps that will promote peace and improve the lives of the people in the continent.
Kingi regretted that the Parliaments are too fragmented, a fact that has compromised the continent's voice on the global stage.
"Even though MPs are the true representatives of the people, we have taken a back seat on matters of parliamentary diplomacy. This has undermined efforts to conflict resolution," said Kingi.
He noted that the only way to resolve the many conflicts that rock Africa is to unite and exchange ideas, build partnerships and collaborate.
"As Parliaments we can do a lot in resolving conflicts in Africa, promoting integration, inter Africa trade, free movement of people and goods and even contemporary challenges lioke climate change," said Kingi.
The Speaker was speaking on Tuesday when he hosted a delegation of Members of Parliament from The Gambia which is on a benchmarking tour of Kenya Parliament.
The delegation is led by Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta who is the Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia and consists of 4 MPs.
The Speaker said the continent is confronted by many challenges, including barriers to intra-Africa trade, integration and conflicts that have made lives for difficult for most Africans.
The Speaker observed that the failure by the Parliaments to unite has paved the way for meddling by Western powers who have exploited the situation to divide the continent for their own selfish reasons.
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"Parliaments are the true reflection of the voice of the people. MPs are elected directly and therefore are best placed to address conflicts on the continent," said Mr Kingi.
Kingi regretted the continent has fallen short of realising the dreams of its forefathers and barriers to integration and trade abound.
"As Parliaments we must address these barriers if we are to have in place policies that will improve the lives of our people" he said adding that MPs must as a matter of urgency start interrogating the continental integration process.
"We have many MOUs, many agreements, many protocols on both trade and integration but with little or no action to benefit our people," Mr Kingi noted adding that if the Parliaments come together Africa will have a huge voice on the world stage.
While hailing Kenyans for a peaceful conduct during the August 2022 general election, jatta welcomed the proposal for a unity of African Parliament but insisted that such unity must include entrenching checks and balances on the executive branch of government.
"Parliamentary diplomacy is important," said Mr Jatta but such unity should be extended to ideas that will help integration and improve checks and balances
