East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) aspirant Fred Bangumya has pledged to champion regional trade, enhance security cooperation and strengthen policy harmonisation between member states if elected to represent Uganda in the regional parliament.
Speaking after verifying his nomination documents and submitting additional requirements at the Electoral Commission offices, Bangumya said the East African Community presents Uganda with an opportunity to expand markets, attract investment and accelerate industrialisation.
“The major reason why we need to be in East Africa is because of trade. We cannot have a bigger market for Uganda without our neighbours,” Bangumya said.
He added that regional integration would allow Uganda and other member states to benefit from a larger consumer base, which he said would support industrial growth, infrastructure development and job creation.
“If we produce goods in our country, the population of the region provides us with a larger market, and a bigger market is good for trade, infrastructure and industrialisation,” he said.
Bangumya also emphasised the importance of regional security cooperation, arguing that stability across the East African Community is interconnected.
“Uganda cannot be secure when our region is not secure,” he said, adding that stronger collaboration between regional institutions and national governments is essential for effective policy implementation.
He further called for closer alignment between the East African Legislative Assembly and national parliaments, saying laws passed at the regional level must be effectively domesticated and implemented across member states, including Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
Bangumya appealed to Members of Parliament to support his candidature, saying his vision is to promote a more united, secure and economically integrated East African Community under the campaign message, “We Are Better Together.”
