…A packed agenda it is for EALA at its 5th Meeting of 1st Session
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, May 26, 2018: The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) resumes its Sitting in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, May 28th, 2018. The Fifth Meeting of the First Session of the 4th Assembly, runs until June 15th, 2018 in the Kenyan capital.
Topping the packed agenda of the Assembly, is a Special Sitting expected to be addressed by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta at a later date to be communicated.
Other key highlights of the Assembly, to be presided over by Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin, include the tabling of the EAC Budget Speech for the Financial Year 2018/19, the anticipated debate and enactment of three pieces of legislations and possible adoption of several reports. The Bills to be debated include the EAC Community Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2018, the East African Community Appropriation Bill, 2018 and the Administration of the EALA (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
The EAC Budget speech is expected to be delivered on June 4th, 2018 by the Chair of the Council of Ministers. The Assembly is subsequently then expected as is part of its mandate to debate and to approve the contents of the Budget speech, which is a key activity of the EAC calendar.
Last year, (June 2017), EALA approved the bloc’s budget estimates for the Financial Year 2017/2018, totaling $110,130,183. The 2017/2018 Budget themed: “Accelerating Implementation of the EAC Integration Agenda” was a step-up from $101,374,589 presented to the House in the previous Financial Year (2016/17). The Budget speech (then) prioritized on the consolidation of the Single Customs Territory (SCT) to cover all imports and intra-EAC traded goods, infrastructure development in the region and further liberalization of free movement of skilled labour across the Partner States.
Other activities of the Assembly include debate on the Report of the Committee on Accounts on the EAC audited financial statements for the Financial Year ended 30th June, 2016 and the Report of the Committee on General Purpose on the EAC Budget for the FY 2018/2019. With regards to the anticipated Bills, the Administration of the East African Legislative Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 2018 moved by Hon. Susan Nakawuki Nsambu, aims to amend the Administration of the East African Legislative Assembly Act, 2012 to provide for the Assembly to be wholly responsible for its administrative and financial affairs, to streamline the functions of the Commission in order to support its financial and administrative autonomy and to provide for other related matters. According to the mover of the Bill, at the 33rd Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers, the Council granted financial and administrative autonomy to the Assembly. However, the Administration of the EALA Act in its current form does not support implementation of financial and administrative autonomy of the Assembly, prompting Hon Nsambu to move the amendment to cure the lacuna.
Furthermore, over the three week-period, the Assembly will interact with various stakeholders and citizens in a calculated move to collect views to effectively undertake its mandate and enhance its representation mandate.
The interactions include sessions with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) the International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) and engagements with the Civil Society Organisations within the agriculture sector as the 3rd EAC Agriculture Budget Summit, 2008 gets underway in Nairobi on May 31st, 2018.
The Plenary Sitting is being preceded by the EALA Commission which completes its two- day Meeting on Saturday, May 26th, 2018. The Committee on Accounts and the Committee on General Purpose have also been holding meetings in Nairobi to look at pertinent areas which shall then feed in to the forthcoming Parliamentary sessions.
NOTE TO EDITORS ABOUT EALA
The East African Legislative Assembly is the Legislative Organ of the East African Community. Its Membership consists of a total of 62, of whom 54 are elected Members (9 from each Partner State) and eight ex-officio members (the Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs from the Partner States, the Secretary General of the Community and the Counsel to the Community).
The East African Legislative Assembly has legislative functions as well as oversight of all East African Community matters. The enactment of legislation of the Community is put into effect by means of Bills passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Heads of State, and every Bill that has been duly passed and assented to become an Act of the Community and takes precedent over similar legislations in the Partner States. EALA has to date passed 79 pieces of legislation.
-ENDS-
For more information, contact
Bobi Odiko,
Senior Public Relations Officer,
East African Legislative Assembly.
Tel: +255-27-2508240 Fax: +255-27-2503103, Cell: +255-787-870945 +254-733-718036
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org,
Web: https://www.eala.org
