National Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses Wetang’ula has urged East African Community (EAC) Partner States to honour their financial obligations, saying regional integration depends on shared responsibility and respect for the law.
Wetang’ula said Kenya remained committed to meeting its obligations to the Community. He called on other Partner States to follow suit and ensure their contributions support the effective running of regional institutions.
“Even if we amend the Treaty, would the Partner States defaulting in their remittances start to honour their obligations to the Community?” he posed.
He spoke on Thursday during an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of EAC Speakers and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.
Wetang’ula said changes to the Community’s institutional arrangements would not address its financial challenges if member states failed to meet their commitments.
He urged the Speakers to consider reforms that would strengthen the EAC without undermining its Treaty, institutions or integration agenda.
“I wish to urge you, let every decision we take today be a decision that will lead to nurturing, preserving, deepening and widening our EAC integration agenda,” he said.
The Speaker confirmed that Kenya had honoured its financial commitment towards the 16th Inter-Parliamentary Games, scheduled for Arusha, Tanzania, from December 4 to 15, 2026.
“I confirm that Kenya has already honoured her commitment,” he said, referring to obligations agreed upon at the Bureau’s previous meeting on October 2, 2026.
He urged other participating states to fulfil their commitments in good time, saying timely contributions were essential for successful regional activities.
The meeting considered two decisions adopted by the EAC Heads of State Summit on March 7, 2026, concerning EALA members’ remuneration and the selection of their successors.
Under the proposed arrangement, national assemblies would assume responsibility for paying EALA members from December 2027, while Partner States would meet their travel and daily subsistence costs. The Community would retain responsibility for sitting allowances.
Wetang’ula said the proposals raised legal, financial and administrative concerns that required further examination before implementation.
He said the changes must comply with the EAC Treaty, which provides for the Summit to determine EALA members’ terms and conditions of service on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.
“Like many other Partner States, the Republic of Kenya believes in the rule of law. Not just a belief, but we live the law,” he said.
He warned that transferring responsibility for determining members’ terms of service to individual states could undermine equal treatment and the Assembly’s independence.
Wetang’ula also raised concerns about taxation, constitutional requirements and the proposed placement of EALA members under Kenya’s Parliamentary Service Commission.
He said implementation could require amendments to the EAC Treaty, the Constitution and relevant national laws.
On the selection of EALA members, he cited Article 50, which governs their election and bars serving national legislators from simultaneously serving in the regional Assembly.
He urged the Bureau to recommend that the two Summit decisions be returned to the Heads of State for further consideration, warning that treaty amendments and ratification by all Partner States would take time.
Wetang’ula said Kenya was consulting the Executive, including the Attorney-General’s office, the ministry responsible for EAC affairs and the National Treasury, to establish a common position.
He urged regional legislators to reach a practical agreement that would preserve the Community’s stability and strengthen cooperation.
Those present included Senate Speaker Rt. Hon. Amason Kingi, EAC Bureau Chairperson and Somalia’s Federal Parliament Speaker Rt. Hon. Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, Uganda’s Parliament Speaker Rt. Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth and EALA Speaker Rt. Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana, alongside clerks and secretaries-general of national legislatures. and the Clerk of the East African Legislative Assembly.
