Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has called upon legislators, attending the Uganda North America Association Convention (UNAA) to promote Uganda as a tourist destination. The four-day UNAA Convention, which takes place in Miami, Florida, starts on August 31, 2017 and will attract participants from various sectors that include; Immigration, Lands and Uganda Investment Authority among others. A total of 100 MPs were invited to the Convention, the Speaker nominated 23 MPs to attend. Kadaga explained that the legislators will attend different forums and make presentations on different sectors, loans approved, their implementation and what’s going on in the country. The MPs were nominated from across the political parties and committees in Parliament.
“We need to be patriotic and present a good image of Uganda and listen to the issues facing Ugandans in the Diaspora,” she told the legislators. Kadaga noted that; the issues of voting rights for Ugandans in the Diaspora and dual citizenship remain sticking issues, which will be addressed. “Although we agreed on dual citizenship, we have not yet set up the proper structure for acquiring dual citizenship. So it remains a challenge for our people in the Diaspora,” she explained.
The Ugandan Parliament annually participates in the Convention to bridge the gap between Ugandans living in the Diaspora and Parliament. “We should note that the Diaspora are important to our economy; being that their remissions contribute greatly to the GDP as well as being a source of skilled labour,” she said. Among the various committees, the MPs will attend include; the trade and investment forum, youth forum and the fistula campaign for northern Uganda, among others.
