KAMPALA, UGANDA – As the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) by-election gathers momentum, frontrunner Dr. Tendo Ronex Kisembo has emerged as the candidate with the clearest vision, unmatched experience, and unwavering loyalty to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's regional integration agenda. With his unique qualities that befit the East African Parliament, Dr. Kisembo is making a compelling case for why the NRM, the President, and Members of the 12th Parliament should endorse his candidacy.
Speaking exclusively on the state of regional integration, Dr. Kisembo issued a passionate appeal to Parliament, urging members to support him as the delegate who will revitalise the East African Community and protect Uganda's interests in Arusha. His vision of unifying East Africa is gaining momentum, with citizens across the region yearning for a truly integrated community.
Dr. Kisembo, who serves as the Group CEO of Afrika Mashariki Fest and Secretary General of the African Union Kiswahili Commission, has been at the forefront of regional integration politics for nearly two decades. His comprehensive agenda includes:
· Unified Tourism Branding: He has called for the scrapping of fragmented national campaigns—Uganda's Explore Uganda, Tanzania's Unforgettable Tanzania, Rwanda's Visit Rwanda, and Kenya's Magical Kenya—in favor of a single "Visit East Africa" brand.
· Standard Gauge Railway: Dr. Kisembo envisions a seamless railway network connecting Malaba to Kampala, western Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and eventually South Sudan, facilitating trade and movement across the region.
· Merged Regional Airlines: He has urged East African heads of state to prioritize merging Kenya Airways, FlyRwandAir, Uganda Airlines, and Air Tanzania. This bold move, he argues, would significantly boost the aviation sector through affordable tickets, increase cross-border mobility, and improve trade and domestic tourism.
· Cheaper Airspace: Highlighting a glaring disparity, he noted that international airspace from Entebbe to Nairobi costs $600 for a 40-minute flight, yet the same distance on domestic airspace costs only $150. He cited South Korea as a model for efficient transport infrastructure.
· Kiswahili as a Common Language: Dr. Kisembo stressed that ministries across partner states must budget for popularizing Kiswahili as a language of trade and wider communication, asserting that "there is no integration without a common language."
Dr. Kisembo's linguistic dexterity sets him apart from other contenders. Fluent in English, Kiswahili, Luganda, Kinyarwanda, and Kirundi, with working knowledge of French and Lingala, he is uniquely positioned to engage constructively across linguistic and cultural boundaries. In a Community defined by diversity, this is both an asset and a strategic advantage for Uganda's delegation.
Addressing Members of Parliament directly, Dr. Kisembo emphasized that in a Community navigating expansion, institutional reforms, and financial pressures, Uganda's delegation to EALA must reflect competence, experience, ideological clarity, and a steadfast commitment to the regional integration process. He embodies these qualities and stands ready to serve Uganda and the region with dedication and integrity.
"Please vote Dr. Tendo to support H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to revitalise EAC," he appealed, positioning himself as the candidate who will protect the President's vision and Uganda's interests in Arusha.
With the EALA by-election approaching, Dr. Kisembo has distinguished himself as the frontrunner with the clearest articulation of what East Africa needs and how Uganda can lead that transformation. His work has complemented, not contradicted, the NRM's regional vision. To reduce his candidacy to partisan lines would be to miss the larger purpose of EALA itself.
Members of Parliament, particularly those within the NRM, have an opportunity to make a statement that transcends routine selection. This is a moment to affirm that competence, experience, and demonstrable commitment to East African unity are not secondary to party affiliation, but central to it. Uganda needs voices in Arusha who understand the region not from briefings but from lived experience.
With these ideas and qualifications, Dr. Kisembo must be taken to Arusha so that Uganda's interests—and those of President Museveni—are firmly protected in the regional assembly. Sending Dr. Kisembo to EALA would be an investment in the East Africa that Ugandans and all East Africans claim to desire.
Dr. Kisembo is the Group CEO of Afrika Mashariki Fest and Secretary General of the African Union Kiswahili Commission. He has been actively involved in regional integration politics for nearly two decades and is widely regarded as the frontrunner for the EALA by-election.
