By Samuel Ouma
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) for Africa meeting kicks off today, Friday, in Nairobi and will run until Sunday.
The CPA brings together parliamentarians in Commonwealth nations around the globe. It has more than 180 legislatures (or branches) divided up into nine geographic regions of the Commonwealth.
Delegates from 18 countries like Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia will take part in the meeting.
State and provincial legislatures from Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania will also attend the meeting by being subnational legislatures that form part of the membership of the CPA Africa Region.
The main agenda will be the role of African legislatures in implementing measures to avert the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The legislators will also deliberate on mainstreaming people living with the disability.
“We tell the rest of the world that Kenya is open for business and tourism. We are able to observe WHO and our Ministry of Health guidelines. The other sectors of the economy can borrow a leaf,” the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi stated. He is the chairperson of the executive committee of the CPA (Africa Region).
According to Mr. Muturi, the Women’s League of the CPA will discuss women’s leadership.
The CPA Africa Investment Board, at the same time, will discuss investment proposals to make CPA sustainable.
Among the leaders that have arrived in Nairobi are Tanzanian Speaker Ndugai Job Yustino, South Africa Deputy Speaker Tsenoli Solomon Lechesa, Nigerian Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, and Zanzibar Speaker Maulid Zubeir Ali.
“When these countries meet together, there is a lot of growth of democratic cultures in various countries,” added Muturi.
