Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has promised to take personal initiative to ensure Parliaments in Africa unite and start collaborating on issues that affect the people.

Speaker Kingi told a delegation of Members of Eswatini Parliamentary Service Board that he will ensure the Parliaments across the continent constantly engage to foster partnerships and collaborate on issues that confront the Continent.

"There is a feeling that African Parliaments have ceded too much ground to the executives," said the Speaker on Thursday.

He was speaking when he hosted members of the Board who had paid him a courtesy call. 

The delegation of the Board, is led by Madam Lindiwe Dlamini, who is the President of the Senate of Eswatini.

The Board is in Kenya for a benchmarking visit.

Speaker regretted that a fragmented Africa has undermined its voice on global matters pointing out that there is a greater need for the MPs, as representative of people, to come together for a stronger voice.

"As Parliaments we must put our best foot forward. We must be part of the solution to the many challenges that afflict the continent," he said.

Speaker Kingi is the President of the International Conference on the Great Lakes region (ICGLR), a regional legislative forum that brings together Parliaments from 12 member States.

The Forum is due to have its regional assembly meeting in Juba, South Sudan in mid-April.

Top on the agenda of the Juba meeting, according to Speaker Kingi, will be the ongoing conflict in the DR Congo.

"I will take up the issue of parliamentary diplomacy during the meeting. I will ensure that as Parliaments we start the collaboration. I hope we can come up with a partnership that will lead to friendship. We can achieve a lot through such collaboration."

Madam Dlamini hailed Kenya for the vibrancy of its democracy and called on the two countries strengthen bilateral relations for the good of its citizens.

“Kenya is known globally for the vibrancy of it parliamentary debates. We need to strengthen our relations for the benefit of our people,” she said.

She challenged those interested to start forming friendship groups and later memorandum of understanding that will provide mechanisms for exchange programmes.

"MPs are very critical in development because they are closer to the people. As representatives of the people they are cognisant of the needs of their constituents," said Madam Dlamini.

The Eswatini team is on a study tour of the operations of Kenya's parliamentary model.

Others in the Eswatini delegation are Victor Malambe, Mphatfwa Dlamini and Benedict Xaba, the Clerk of the Parliament of Eswatini, Mr Lunga Dlamini, Legal Counsel Parliament of Eswatini, Mr Lungila Siyaya – Personal Secretary of the Speaker, Mrs. Jabulile Mashwama – member of the Board and Ms. Hlobisile Ndlovu, Member of the Board. Others in the delegation are Mr. Patrick Mnisi, Mr. Philip Maseko, Ms. Nkhosephayo Masuku, Mrs. Elena Dlamini and Mr. Steven Dlamini.