Key activities of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the legislative arm of the East African Community, face a delay as a result of financial constraints stemming from partner states that do not honour their financial obligations to the bloc, it has emerged.
According to a statement issued by EALA on May 29, the 17th meeting of the EAC Speakers' Bureau ended with a call to partner states to meet their financial obligations. The meeting took place in Nairobi, Kenya.
In his remarks, EALA Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana raised concerns about the regional parliament's financial challenges, noting that some partner states have not remitted their contributions, hindering and forcing EALA to postpone critical activities including the budget plenary. Ntakirutimana urged partner states to fulfill their financial obligations to the Community.
He also highlighted the high costs of air travel within the region, exceedingly even the cost of travel to Europe, and called for a review of the EAC Treaty to address this issue.
As things stand now, it is clear that activities and programmes of EAC organs are generally impeded by fund shortage.
On May 27, the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) - another organ of EAC - issued a statement indicating that owing to delayed remittances from the partner states, the court was unable to conduct the May session of the Appellate Division, and the June 2024 session of the First Instance Division will not be convened as scheduled.
On June 22, 2023, during an EALA plenary sitting held in Tanzania, MPs pushed for sanctions against partner states that do not commit to their financial obligations to the bloc, arguing that the situation holds back the regional integration agenda.
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Meanwhile, during the May 29 meeting, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, Moses Francis Wetang'ula, reminded the regional Speakers that the Bureau plays a pivotal role in advancing the objectives of the EAC, facilitating legislative coordination and harmonisation among the partner states.
In his statement delivered at the meeting, Sheikh Harerimana Mussa Fazil, Rwanda's Deputy-Speaker in charge of Finance and Administration, underscored the active role of national parliaments and EALA in strengthening regional integration.
Harerimana highlighted the responsibility of parliamentarians to work together to achieve the objectives of the EAC, for the benefit of the entire region's development.
