The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) resumes business next week by holding its Plenary in Arusha, Tanzania. The Plenary which takes place from Monday, May 21st 2012 through to Friday, June 1st, 2012, is the Fifth Meeting of the Fifth Session of the Second Assembly. It marks the last Sitting of the current Assembly - whose statutory political life ends on June 4, 2012.
The Assembly to be presided by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Abdirahin H. Abdi, shall during the two-week period listen and debate on the EAC budget for the Financial Year 2012/2013. The Budget Speech is expected to be delivered by the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Hon Musa Sirma on Thursday, May 24, 2012.
The following Bills shall be also be debated during the plenary:
- The East African Community Sectional Properties Bill, 2012 – 2nd & 3rd Reading
- The EAC Appropriation Bill, 2012 – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Reading
- The EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2012 – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Reading.
EALA shall during the Plenary period likewise:
- receive and consider reports from various Committees of the Assembly
- consider Motions and Questions brought before the House.
EALA shall debate on a Report of the Committee on General Purpose on the on-spot assessment of the Partner States’ Policy Framework and facilitation of Civil Society Organisations’ activities. The report focuses on women, youth, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the elderly and other special interest groups in the EAC Partner States. The Committee chaired by Hon Sebtuu Nassor is also expected to table a second report on the recent Inter-Parliamentary Forum field visit on the monitoring and evaluation of various regional and national level health and HIV and AIDS interventions and responses in the Republic of Kenya.
The EALA Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution shall present a report of the findings of the public hearings on the border communities of Kenya and Uganda while the Committee on Accounts shall table its findings on the EAC Accountability process.
The Trans-boundary report of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources to Lake Jipe and another by the same Committee on the status of implementation of Tourism and conservation issues are also to be tabled during the two week plenary.
On its part, the Committee on Communication, Trade and Investment is to make public its findings on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in the EAC region. The Committee on Legal, Rules and Privileges shall on its part present the report on the audit of EAC laws and legislation.
EALA expects to inaugurate the 3rd Assembly on June 5, 2012. The 2nd Assembly has realised a number of achievements including passing over 35 pieces of legislation and carrying out oversight and on-spot assessments on various programmes and projects of the Community.
EALA has in its representative function deliberated and exchanged views with several stakeholders, all of whom have made immense contribution to the Assembly’s agenda.
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 52, of whom 45 are elected Members (9 from each Partner State) and seven 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 effected 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 in June 2010 launched its Strategic Plan and Website at its 5th Meeting of the third Session held in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya respectively. The Strategic Plan is expected to go a long way to firmly entrench the EALA as the epitome of the Community’s democracy and unity. The EALA website www.eala.org provides the Assembly with the means to communicate actively with the citizens of East Africa and beyond and enhances public understanding of the legislature’s role and responsibilities.
