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"content": "they arrived at these names; the process that they went through, including the adverts to making sure that each candidate meets the criteria that is required and so on. I commend the Committee for a job well done. Secondly, I want to just raise some concerns with the nomination process. The nomination process, I can see, had five independent candidates who fully met the qualifications, but for reasons explained by the Senate Majority Leader, they are not in the list for those to be voted for. This is an issue which we should relook at because some of the independent candidates could be very good candidates who are very committed to the ideals of the integration of East Africa and Africa as a whole. I am also sure that in the nomination process, we included the issue of the commitment of the candidates to the ideals of the economic, social and political integration of East Africa and Africa as a whole. It is my considered opinion, for example, that when you come here as a Senator - and since the Senate is charged with the responsibility of guaranteeing devolution - you must be committed to the ideals of devolution. Similarly, I would urge that for somebody to be elected to the EALA, he or she ought also to be committed to the ideals of the cooperation of East Africa, in political, economic and social terms. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was the chairman, appointed by the Heads of State of East Africa, to make a report on how we can fast-track the federation. One of the things that we found to impede greater integration is that when people go and work either in the East African Community or are elected to go to the EALA, they go there and represent totally the interests of their countries, to the oblivion of the greater interest of the East African Community. There has to be a balance. As you represent the interest of your region, you should also be committed to the ideals, so that you can make the necessary adjustments to ensure that the East African Community works. Therefore, I hope that in future when we are having this exercise, at least, somebody should write, in not more than 100 words, whether he is committed to the EAC. Maybe it was there on the application form, but if it was not there, it ought to be there. What is his commitment to EALA and the further integration of the economic, social, and political integration of East Africa? Those are the two comments I wanted to make on the issue of the nominations. On the issue of voting, I hope that at least when we come to vote, we shall be given in advance a brief curriculum vitae of the people we are voting for. I do not know a number of them, although, I have heard about them. I may not know their qualifications and what they have done. Of course, I know Sen. Sakaja. I knew him before he was born, and he knows it."
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