Amb.Valentine Rugwabiza swears as an ex-officio in EALA

Rwanda’s new Minister for East African Community Affairs, Hon Amb Valentine Rugwabiza was sworn-in as an Ex-Officio Member of EALA on September 3, 2014 in Arusha-Tanzania. The Oath of Allegiance to the House was administered before the EALA Speaker Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa.

The Member took the oath in accordance with Rule 6 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly. The Rules of Procedure say in part that: “No Member can sit or participate in the proceedings of the House until the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance to the Treaty is taken”.

Rule 6(3) specifically states that “when a Member first attends to take his or her seat other than at the first sitting of a new House, he or she shall be brought to the table by two Members and presented by them to the Speaker who shall then administer the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance”.

The Minister was accompanied by Hon Patricia Hajabakiga and Hon Abubakar Zein into the House. EALA has 45 elected Members and seven Ex-Officio Members.  The Ex-Officio Members are the Ministers of EAC in the Partner States, the EAC Secretary General and the Counsel to the Community.

Hon Amb. Rugwabiza, the new Minister for MINEAC was appointed on July 24, 2014 and replaced Hon. Jacqueline Muhongayire who was also a former elected Member of EALA.

Hon. Amb. Rugwabiza is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board. She is also a former deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since October 2005. Amb. Rugwabiza also served as Rwanda’s envoy to the United Nations in Geneva and  has occupied senior managerial positions in the private sector, in Rwanda and abroad.