Rwanda’s new Minister for East African Community Affairs, Hon Amb Valentine Rugwabiza was this afternoon sworn-in as an Ex-Officio Member of EALA. The Oath of Allegiance to the House was administered before the EALA Speaker Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa at 2.41 pm.
The Member took the oath in accordance with Rule 6 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly. The Rules of Procedure say in part that: “No Member can sit or participate in the proceedings of the House until the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance to the Treaty is taken”.
Rule 6(3) specifically states that “when a Member first attends to take his or her seat other than at the first sitting of a new House, he or she shall be brought to the table by two Members and presented by them to the Speaker who shall then administer the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance”.
The Minister was ushered into the House by Hon Patricia Hajabakiga and Hon Abubakar Zein. EALA has 45 elected Members and seven Ex-Officio Members. The Ex-Officio Members are the Ministers of EAC in the Partner States, the EAC Secretary General and the Counsel to the Community.
Hon Amb. Rugwabiza, the new Minister for EAC Affairs was appointed on July 24, 2014 following a Cabinet reshuffle in the Republic of Rwanda. She replaces Hon Jacqueline Muhongayire who is also a former elected Member of EALA.
Hon Amb. Rugwabiza is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board. She is also a former deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since October 2005. Amb. Rugwabiza also served as Rwanda’s envoy to the United Nations in Geneva.
Amb. Rugwabiza had a long career in the private sector, where she occupied senior managerial positions in the private sector, in Rwanda and abroad.
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For more Information, contact:
Bobi Odiko,
Senior Public Relations Officer;
East African Legislative Assembly;
Tel: +255-27-2508240
Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036;
Email: bodiko@eachq.org
Web: https://www.eala.org Arusha, Tanzania
