Kenya has asked East African Community leaders to reconsider a directive that would require national parliaments to take over paying members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) from December 2027, warning that the plan cannot be lawfully implemented on time.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula made the case on Thursday, October 29, while opening an extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of EAC Speakers at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.

The directive

The change was adopted at the 25th Ordinary EAC Summit in Arusha in March 2026. Under it, partner states' national assemblies would pay the salaries and benefits of EALA members from the start of the Sixth Assembly's term in December 2027, while the Community would continue paying sitting allowances. The same Summit approved a new financing formula under which half of each state's contribution is shared equally and half is based on economic capacity.

Kenya's objections

Wetang'ula said decisions of the Summit bind partner states but must still conform to the EAC Treaty and national constitutions. He argued the change should rest on the Treaty as it currently stands, not on an amendment that has yet to be made.

"It would not be practically and technically feasible to undertake amendment and ratification processes by December 2027," he said, noting that changing the Treaty requires ratification by all partner states. "It is one thing to amend the Treaty to accommodate the Summit decisions, but it is another long and demanding expedition."

He raised several concerns:

  • Whether Kenya's Parliamentary Service Commission, which serves MPs and parliamentary staff, can legally take on EALA members without changes to the law.
  • Whether paying regional legislators through national parliaments would weaken EALA's independence.
  • Whether members from different countries would continue to be treated equally.

What happens next

EALA Speaker Joseph Ntakirutimana urged national parliaments and EAC institutions to agree on a framework to handle the legal, financial and administrative effects of the change, saying the Assembly's institutional character and the equal treatment of its members must be preserved.

According to The Standard, the Bureau agreed to advise the Heads of State collectively, with Kenya seeking to have the decisions on EALA remuneration and elections returned to the Summit for reconsideration. The meeting was chaired by Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, Speaker of Somalia's House of the People and chair of the Bureau.

Wetang'ula also confirmed that Kenya has met its financial obligations for the EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games in Arusha from December 5 to 15 and will send a full delegation.

Photos: National Assembly via The Standard; Parliament of Kenya. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.