Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba (right) attending the 14th meeting of EAC Speakers Forum. (File Photo/Courtesy).

The Bureau of East African Speakers Forum has appointed Jemma Nunu Kumba of South Sudan as head of the regional parliamentary speaker’s forum.

Speaker Nunu’s nomination and subsequent appointment happened during the 14^th meeting of the forum on Friday.

She replaces her outgoing Kenyan counterpart Moses Wetangula.

Addressing the regional speakers, Nunu expressed her gratitude to serve in the position and hailed her country for last month’s “democratic” election of lawmakers to the regional legislative assembly.

“I would like to reiterate that South Sudan tested the best of democracy when we conducted the election of members to the EALA in a democratic, transparent, and peaceful manner,” she said as reported by The City Review newspaper.

Commenting on the appointment, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization termed it a great recognition of South Sudan women in public governance.

Yakani said it is time for South Sudan to show its capability to lead regional mechanisms for the realization of democratic transformation in the regional legislative assemblies’ governance.

Yakani also urged Speaker Nunu to use her term of office “for championing peace and security in the region especially in DRC following the recent violence between the government and rebel of M 23.”