The fourth assembly of the East Africa Legislative Assembly will inaugurated on Monday in Arusha, Tanzania following on Thursday.
Top on the agenda during the week-long first sitting will be the swearing-in of MPs, the election of the Speaker and that of members to the EALA Commission as well as the constitution of various committees.
Preparations for the forthcoming sitting are at an advanced stage with a number of Speakers from the Partner States’ Parliaments expected to grace the occasion, according to a statement by Bobi Odiko, EALA’s senior public relations officer
All members are expected to be sworn in by the Clerk before election of the Speaker.
The new EALA Speaker who takes over from Daniel Kidega is expected to guide the assembly over the next five years taking it a notch higher in the integration dispensation.
EALA is an organ of the East African Community established in 2001 with a mandate of legislation, representation and oversight. It is constituted of nine elected members from each of the Partner States.
The nine elected nominees to EALA from Kenya are Simon Mbugua, Florence Jematiah, Mpuri Aburi, Aden Noor and Wanjiku Muhia.
Other members are Oburu Odinga, Kennedy Kalonzo, Abdikadir Aden and Fatuma Ibrahim.
The 3rd Assembly wound up its tour of duty on June 4 and was expected to have commenced on June 5.
However by then, only Parliament of Uganda, Parliament of Tanzania, Parliament of Burundi and Parliament of Tanzania had finalised the processes.
The Transitional National Legislative Assembly of South Sudan on its part, had to repeat its elections following an application filed at the East African Court of Justice by a citizen of the country, Wani Salantino challenging the process.
The Parliament revisited the issue and held fresh elections on August 3 before filing the names with EALA.
Uganda was the first to elect Members to the regional Assembly on March 1. Their nine member team includes three returning incumbents: Susan Nakawuki, Fred Mukasa Mbidde and Chris Opoka.
The new faces to EALA are Rose Akol, Mathias Kasamba, Mary Mugyenyi and Paul Musamali. Others are Dennis Namara, and George Stephen Odongo.
Tanzania returned Adam Kimbisa and Maryam Ussi from the 3rd Assembly. The newcomers include Josephine Lemoyan, Happiness Lugiko, Pamela Maassay, Ngwaru J Maghembe, Abdullah Makame, Habib Mnyaa and Fancy Nkuhi.
Rwanda submitted its list to EALA in May 2017, includes n Pierre Celestin Rwigema, Martin Ngoga, Gasinzigwa Oda and Kalinda Francois Xavier, all who previously served in the 3rd Assembly.
New faces include Alex Bahati, Fatuma Ndangiza, Rutazana Francine, Barimuyabo Jean Claude and Uwumukiza Francoise.