Lawmakers in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) have challenged a decision by Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana to issue notice for conducting by-elections to fill two Ugandan positions, saying the move is misguided and could trigger legal disputes.
Ntakirutimana this week wrote to Anita Among, notifying her of what he described as vacant positions following the election of Denis Namara and James Kakooza to the Parliament of Uganda.
However, George Odongo and South Sudan's representative Kennedy Mukuria argue that the process contradicts Article 51(c) of the EAC Treaty and risks sparking litigation.
The March 17, 2026 letter has since triggered debate among EALA representatives, some of whom say the notification could jeopardize the representation of the two legislators, whose term at the regional assembly runs until 2027.
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"Either the two members of parliament resign prematurely from the East African Assembly, but as of now, they are still active members until such a date when they are sworn in as members of the national parliament," Odongo said.
Mukuria questioned the basis of the Speaker's communication, noting inconsistencies in the interpretation of the treaty provision.
"It indicated that James Kakooza and Denis Namara lost their seats on January 15, and that's where we needed to find out what triggered that letter because the Speaker knows very well that there's a lot of ambiguity in terms of Article 51(c) of the treaty," he said.
The legislators are now pushing for a comprehensive review of the East African treaty to address such ambiguities, a position that has also drawn support from some aspirants seeking to replace Kakooza and Namara.
"We had called for a comprehensive review of the treaty but it did not happen, and if you look at most of the amendments, they're all in piecemeal. I believe with this scenario coming up now, we must close these bottlenecks," Mukuria added.
Meanwhile, nominees expected to submit their expressions of interest for the positions by March 30, 2026, have already begun campaigning.
"I am very ready, capable and experienced to ensure that I raise Uganda's flag in the East African Legislative Assembly," said Juma Witonze.
Another aspirant, Ronald Mivule, said he would advocate for greater public participation in regional integration, echoing sentiments once expressed by Julius Nyerere.
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"I will push for the involvement of the East African population in the entire integration process, as said by the late president of Tanzania Julius Nyerere in 1977 -- the people were left behind because it was leader-led, not people-led," Mivule said.
This is not the first time the regional assembly has faced such a situation, with a similar scenario previously reported in Kenya.
