…committee activities and parliamentary business to continue online via video-conferencing
East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, April 24th 2020: With the region and globe consolidating in the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) has resolved to hold its 4th Meeting of its 3rd Session in a different format. For the first time in its history, the Assembly’s Sitting is to be held virtually in the EAC Partner States. A number of key reports top the agenda of the 3-week virtual meeting, to be presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin.
The Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution is to consider the report on the EAC Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bill, before it is to be presented at the virtual plenary anticipated for Thursday, May 7th, 2020. Other key reports to be tabled during the period are that of the Committee on Accounts on Capacity Building Workshop and the Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on the On-Spot Assessment of the activities of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC). The Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources on the Oversight activity on Climate Change, that of the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment on One Net Work Area (ONA) and the Report on Accounts Committee on oversight of EAC Institutions in Uganda are also on the cards. A number of questions and motions as is customary in parliamentary business are also expected.
This week, the six Committees of the House will convene virtually in the respective EAC capitals to consider their various reports, prior to presenting tabling and subsequent debates at plenary. This morning, the EALA Commission held its statutory meeting to consider and approve the activities of the Assembly for the month of May 2020. In the afternoon, the Committee on Legal Rules and Privileges met to consider its report on the approximation and harmonization of national laws in the EAC context.
EALA has taken the approach in line with the measures in the Partner States and globe to commit to containing the COVID-19 pandemic, which stands at 953 cases in the EAC region and 3,015,298 as at today, (April 27th, 2020). At its meeting on April 20th, 2020, the virtual EALA Commission meeting chaired by the EALA Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga Karoli Martin, noted with concern the alarming rate at which COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally (and in the region) and on the attendant impact on humanity. The Commission thus resolved to continue with its planned activities through video conferencing in Arusha and the EAC Partner States. A number of Parliaments in the region and globe have also re-looked at the modus operandi of undertaking legislative, representative and oversight mandate following the advent of the pandemic.
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 in 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 80 pieces of legislation.
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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
