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East African assembly elects Ugandan as first female speaker

Tuesday June 05 2012
eala

Margaret Zziwa, a new EALA speaker accompanied by the outgoing speaker, Abdirahin Abdi shortly after the election in Arusha.

Margaret Zziwa, 49, from Uganda has been elected the speaker of the third East African Legislative Assembly, becoming the first woman to lead the regional assembly.

Ms Zziwa who holds a Masters’ degree in Women and Gender from Makerere University in Uganda, became the third EALA speaker.

The first speaker was Abdulrahaman Kinana from Tanzania and the outgoing speaker is Abdirahin Abdi from Kenya.

In a hotly contested election, which went to the second round to get a winner, Zziwa outshone her sole rival Dora Byamukama.

Both Zziwa and Byamukama are members of the Uganda ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM).

In the first round, Zziwa garnered 27 votes against her opponent Byamukama who got 18 votes, prompting a repeat of the voting.

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The successful winner had to obtain at least 30 votes, which is two-thirds of the 45 EALA members.

Prior to the election date, a Burundian aspirant Hafsa Mossi had to resign from the race to pave way for Uganda to take her turn for the position.

Bobi Odiko, EALA senior public relations officer, said it was Uganda's turn to have a speaker for EALA as far as the EAC norm of rotation is concerned.

“According to the Rules of Procedure (rule 7) of the Assembly on election of Speaker, the Members shall directly elect the Speaker by secret ballot from among their number on rotational basis” Mr Odiko noted.

Zziwa served as a City councillor for Kampala City, the Capital City of Uganda for seven years (1989-1995) where she chaired and served on various committees, which deal with housing.

She also chaired the committee of Lands and Urban Development of Kampala city council and the committee of Housing and Welfare. Both committees dealt directly with houses for the city council and the land planning in the city.

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