Dr Emmanuel Diini Kisembo, a philanthropist and a graduate of Makerere University medical school has thrown his hat into the ring for the East African regional assembly seat.
Crafting his message on the key issues such as expanding markets for Uganda’s products to countries like the DRC, which was recently admitted into the region, social and cultural integration of the common man, the manifestation of free movement of labour and striking down artificial boundaries that curtail free movement of persons, Kisembo says its time to send representatives to Arusha who will keep the lofty dream of integration alive.
“The DRC has a huge potential with its population of nearly 90 million and it will open another gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. We shall likely have the East African bloc GDP growing as one of the fastest in the world with DRC on board,” Dr Kisembo argued.
He expressed interest to stand for the position on NRM ticket on June 30, this year. Kisembo and other EALA aspirant are expected to meet President Yoweri Museveni who is also the party’s national Chairperson tomorrow Friday.
Kisembo is the Executive Director of Bunyoro Kitara Youth Initiative for Development whose aim is to find ways of uplifting the lives of the youths.
The organisation has undertaken a number of income generating projects that have improved incomes and livelihoods of youths.
He has devoted his efforts in building NRM grassroots structures and is keen on the evaluation of service delivery that trickles down to the villages.
Kisembo believes that the current Parish Development Model is a silver-bullet that could gradually transform rural areas into self-sustaining bastions of economic growth.
Kisembo is not new in politics both at the national level and within the NRM Party, he contested for NRM Vice Chairperson Western Uganda. He is also a former MP aspirant Buyaga East in Kagadi District.
A pacifist and student of peace studies, Dr Kisembo wants the regional assembly to establish a peace-enforcement mechanism where the countries in the regional bloc can advocate for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflict.
He also hailed the recent effort by the Ugandan army to route out the Allied Democratic Forces an affiliate of ISIS in the war-wracked DRC.
“The president is a strategist who is keen on the geo-politics of the region. He knows that if the volatile part of the DRC is freed from insurgents who continue to roam and kill including Uganda’s ADF, then trade will flourish.
The construction of roads in eastern DRC by the Ugandan government and DRC is not only a pacifist method but a masterstroke by Museveni,” Kisembo argued.
He is also advocating for the establishment of a regional military force, which has a rapid deployment mechanism to rout our any pockets of instability.
Kisembo says the regional blocs should be used as models, which can later integrate with the rest of Africa to build a robust interconnected economy.
“Why does Africa, which has numerous resources only contribute to 2 percent of all World trade? We have coffee, oil, gold, and diamonds. DRC is perhaps the richest country on earth in terms of resources. We must navigate these bottlenecks and seek trade deals in the place of conflict,” he revealed.
He believes that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement will create the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion.
This has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty but this depends on the vision of our leadership and the strategic interventions. I am an exponent of President Museveni’s view that strong regional blocs can morph into a stronger continental body.
“For instance, if we raise the share of world trade from 2 to 3 percent, that 1 percentage increase would actually generate about $70 billion of additional income annually for Africa and we would depend less on donor aid from the West and Far East,” said Kisembo.
As a way of rewarding the President with a send-off gift, Kisembo wants Museveni to be appointed as the first East African Community president.