South Sudan, Kenya to foster parliamentary diplomacy
President Salva Kiir and the Kenyan Speaker of the Senate, Dr Kenneth Lusaka, have agreed to strengthen legislative diplomacy between the two countries.
Dr Lusaka and his delegation met with President Kiir in his office on Wednesday in Juba, where they held talks.
Speaking to the media after their meeting, Lusaka said they discussed ways in which Kenya and South Sudan could benefit from each other in terms of parliamentary relations, including assessing development as part of the integration process in the East African Community.
“We are in Juba to seek ways in which Kenya and South Sudan can participate and do business with each other, especially by creating a conducive business environment for Kenyans to come and invest in South Sudan,” he said.
“Promoting and building a better working relationship between the two parliaments would enable the two countries to learn from each other and fix the challenges facing the two sides, especially in developmental projects,” Dr Lusaka added.
Kenya’s Speaker commended the progress in peace, security, and development in South Sudan, saying they were impressed by the construction of the Juba-Bor Road and described it as a milestone for the country.
The official said the road leading from South Sudan to Kenya through Nadapal would be constructed just like the Juba-Bor Road to boost the movement of people and goods between the two countries.
Dr Lusaka arrived in Juba last week and was received by the First Deputy Speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA), Nathanael Oyet.
His visit is aimed at building and strengthening the capacities of parliamentarians working in both countries.
On his arrival last week, Dr Lusaka told the media that he had come to visit the country’s parliament and hold talks with the leaders on how to cement cordial relations between the legislatures of Kenya and South Sudan.
“South Sudan and Kenya enjoy cordial relations because we have a lot to share with each other, building the capacities of both our parliaments, strengthening our committee systems, and learning from each other. I think [it] is very, very important that as a region we want to encourage this cordial working relationship. That is why I have come here,” said Dr Lusaka.
He revealed that his coming to South Sudan was also to push for the country to host the anticipated Eastern Africa regional games.
Mr Oyet commended Lusaka for his visit and echoed the essence of the Kenyan and South Sudanese parliaments’ working together to support one another.
He said as a young nation, South Sudan would learn a lot from its neighbours through exchange visits and experience-sharing.
“South Sudan and Kenya are sisterly countries, and the two parliaments are also related as sisterly parliaments.” We have a lot of businesses in common. We shall be engaging with the speaker on several parliamentary bilateral issues that pertain to the welfare of the two parliaments, ” said Oyet.
“Last year, we sent a delegation from the South Sudan parliament to Kenya for an exchange visit, and today we are very grateful to receive the Speaker of the Senate paying a courtesy call to the parliament of South Sudan,” he said.
