Last week, Britain voted to leave the European Union after 43 years, Ugandan opposition parties seem to have borrowed a leaf and now want to exit the EAC.
On Monday, Uganda’s main opposition party, FDC said the country should leave the bloc that brings together under the East Africa radius.
Today, the same call was re-echoed by their Democratic Party counterparts during their weekly press briefing in Kampala.
Ssewungu Joseph Gonzaga, the party chief whip says the recent vote by Britain to quit the European Union should be a wakeup call for our own East African community.
He adds “For the EAC that has experienced a bitter and turbulent breakup before, the Brexit vote should be a wakeup call. The EAC should Endeavour to root itself more in the people.”
The whole issue started as a joke on social media as Ugandans suggested that if the country exits EAC, the ruling president would resign like the British Prime Minister David Cameron who announced his resignation immediately after losing the referendum vote.
Now, the opposition in Uganda seems to be taking it seriously claiming Uganda is not benefiting from the bloc in any way. They argue that apart from leaders, ordinary Ugandans benefit nothing from the EAC.
“We call upon the organs of the EAC to do everything possible to ensure that the EAC becomes a people centered economic and political federation rather than a government centered outfit” says Ssewungu.
