The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has voted in Dan Kidega as Speaker, replacing the recently impeached Margaret Zziwa.

Mr Kidega, a Ugandan sponsored by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), was unopposed. His main rival, compatriot Chris Opoka-Okumu, who was the acting Speaker following the suspension of Ms Zziwa, pulled out of the race. The two were the only ones validly nominated.

It is expected that Mr Kidega will focus on reforming the regional House, which has witnessed endless bickering over Ms Zziwa’s conduct, paralysing its business.

“I am excited about the new job, but seeing the challenges ahead, I have to focus and work extra hard,” said Mr Kidega. “I will prioritise reconciliation among the members so that we can reconstruct the image of the House that has been damaged and win back the trust of the people of East Africa.”

The 41-year-old, who holds a masters of science degree in international trade policy and law, said he will ensure the House moved quickly to tackle the backlog of work before it.

“I will have to pick up from where my predecessor left off and, in  doing so, I will give the majority their way but respect and protect the rights of the minorities,” Mr Kidega added.

Mr Kidega will lead the assembly until 2017, when Uganda’s rotational term ends. He is serving a second term as EALA MP, having been a member of the second assembly (2007-2012).

Inside sources said that Uganda’s Minister for East Africa Affairs Shem Bageine, prior to the election of Mr Kidega, had convened a meeting to whip up consensus on a single candidate to take the Speaker’s job, and Uganda’s EALA chapter zeroed in on Mr Kidega.

“Dora Byamukama, a Ugandan EALA MP who was Zziwa’s rival in 2012, was advised not to contest for the current seat because she had been accused by Ms Zziwa of being the mastermind behind her impeachment,” said the source. “This was an attempt to avoid further infighting.”

Ms Zziwa, according to the source, has vowed to go to court to contest the move to impeach her. The prolonged campaign to oust her had paralysed operations at the EALA and stalled crucial legislation designed to take the region’s integration agenda forward since March after the members moved the motion to oust her.

“We have about eight Bills pending in the House to be debated and passed. We agree that we have lost a lot of time but now we have someone we can all rely on to lead us in carrying out functions that we were elected to do,” said Kenya’s EALA representative Abubakr Ogle.

Among the pending Bills are the East African Community Co-operative Societies Bill (2014); the East African Community Cross-Border Legal Practice Bill (2014); the East African Community Integration (Education) Bill (2014), the Cross-Border Legal Practice Bill; and the Education Bill, which provides for people-centredness and a market-driven economy.

Former EALA member Catherine Kimura from Kenya said the members should now focus on debating regional matters in the House and forget about the past because time is of the essence.

The EALA MPs are among the highly paid parliamentarians in the world with a basic salary of $6,408 per month. In addition, they are entitled to a sitting allowance of $400 per day and medical/travel insurance. Besides, the MPs are given facilitation allowances by their states of origin for activities such as sensitising citizens on EAC matters as required by EALA regulations.

“It is clear that the honourable members have failed to resolve their issues amicably and therefore they should settle down and do the work they were elected to do for East African citizens,” said Venuste Karambizi from the Kigali Independent University.

Ms Zziwa’s impeachment followed overwhelming support for the motion for removal of the Speaker by 36 to two votes on the floor of the Assembly upon which the Clerk of the Assembly declared the seat vacant.

Additional reporting by Adam Ihucha