Clerks of national assemblies of East African Community partner States and EALA have converged in Juba, South Sudan for their 17th annual meeting.
The meeting precedes that of the Bureau of East African Speakers set to be held at the same venue on Thursday.
During a session on Tuesday chaired by Michael Kadebe, who represented the Clerk of the Tanzanian National Assembly, the clerks prepared working documents and an agenda for the Bureau of Speakers' meeting.
Kenyan National Assembly Deputy Clerk Jeremiah Ndombi represented Clerk Samuel Njoroge while Senate Clerk Nyegenye was represented by Director Johnson Okello.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula is expected to attend the conference on Thursday.
Clerks are technical officers of their respective national legislatures and therefore comprise the technical arm of the Speakers' Bureau.
Among the key issues on the agendas of the clerk's meeting include updates on preparatory arrangements for the annual Inter-Parliamentary games to be held in Rwanda in December.
The meeting also discussed the consideration of the Draft Framework on collaboration between EALA and national legislatures and the challenges facing the regional body.
"The meeting today was fruitful and has set agenda for the Thursday's East African Community Speakers' Bureau conference," said Ndombi.
The EAC Speakers' Bureau was established in 2008 with a mandate to set up a functional working relationship between and among the Speakers of five partner States.
It also seeks to enhance the role of respective national legislatures in the EAC integration agenda and push for the establishment of a Centre of Innovation in Parliaments (CIPs) Regional Hub for East African Parliaments.
The hub is expected to share technological working solutions between EAC legislatures.
Last year, the speakers called for the entrenchment of the East African Bureau of Speakers entity into the organogram of the Community.
During the meeting, respective Clerks of the EAC national legislatures were tasked by the Bureau to undertake the process of drafting a Private Members’ Bill to be considered by EALA. The Bill will seek to enact laws to govern the envisioned organ of the Community.
