President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni passionately urged Africa to liberate itself from the long-lasting impact of colonial policies that have hindered the continent’s progress. On January 4, 2024, Mr. Museveni delivered this powerful message during his address to the speakers and presiding officers gathered at the Commonwealth Parliament meeting organized by RT Hon. Anita Among, the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda.
The event, known as the Commonwealth Speakers Conference (CSPOC24), took place at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo, Kampala.
In his speech, President Museveni highlighted the imperative for Africa to forge its own path towards development, emphasizing the limitations imposed by inherited foreign policies.
He advocated for a paradigm shift, urging the continent to focus on addressing internal challenges rather than perpetuating dependence on external solutions.
“Africa lags behind due to the inherited foreign policies of colonialists,” he highlighted, urging a focus on homegrown solutions to drive advancement.
The President urged the Commonwealth Parliament to spearhead the transformation of their nations by discarding neo-colonial ideologies and embracing technology. While acknowledging the contentious legacy of imperialism, he advocated for embracing the positive remnants of colonialism while breaking away from its detrimental aspects.
“Although imperialism was satanic in nature, it inadvertently gave birth to the Commonwealth, uniting 2.4 billion people. This collective population can serve as a catalyst for the development of nations within the Commonwealth,” he articulated.
Echoing these sentiments, Speaker Anita Among emphasized the conference’s focal points encompassing youth & Gender, health, security, environment, human rights, the rule of law, democratic expansion, and the enhancement of parliamentary debate quality.
She expressed gratitude to President Museveni for facilitating the conference, characterizing the event as a pivotal milestone in the nation’s legislative history.
With 33 out of 43 confirmed speakers in attendance, the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Parliaments, scheduled until January 6th, 2024, represents a collaborative effort toward driving progressive changes and fostering deeper intra-Commonwealth cooperation.
Among the speakers and presiding officers of commonwealth parliament present are the Speaker of the Dominican Republic, Botswana, Ghana, Granada, Guyana, India, Kenya, The Kingdom of Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Singapore, Samoa, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad, Tobago, Tonga, Uganda and Zambia.
