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Rules of Procedure
East African Community Portal



1(1) In these Rules of Procedure, unless the context otherwise requires-


Assembly” means the East African Legislative Assembly established under the Treaty, also referred to herein as the “House”,



Bill” means the draft of an Act of the Assembly and includes Bills initiated by private members, Chairperson of a Committee and the Council;

Clerk” means the Clerk of the Assembly or such other person as is for the time being performing the duties of the Clerk by direction of the Speaker;

Committee” means a Committee of the whole House, a Standing Committee, or any other Committee of the Assembly;

Committee of the Whole House” means a Committee composed of the whole body of members of the Assembly;

Community” means the East African Community established by the Treaty;

Council” means the Council of Ministers of the Community established under the Treaty;

Functions” includes powers and duties;

Journal of the House” means all proceedings of the House recorded by the "Clerk.”

Leave of the House” or any expression of similar import, means permission or agreement given by the majority of Members of the House”.


Meeting” means any sitting or sittings of the Assembly commencing when the Assembly first meets after being summoned at any time and ending when the Assembly is adjourned sine die or at the conclusion of a session.


Member” means a Member of the Assembly elected pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty by National Assembly of each Partner State, and includes ex-officio members provided for under Article 48 (1) (b) of the Treaty.


Motion” means a proposal made by a Member that the Assembly or a Committee of the Assembly does something, order something to be done or express an opinion concerning some matter;


Official Gazette” means the official gazette of the Community;


National Assembly” means the legislature of any Partner state;


Partner States” means the Partner States of the Community as defined under the Treaty;


Petition” means a written prayer or plea presented to the Assembly; and includes all similar submissions whether relating to public or private matters of general policy, or to redress local or personal grievances;


Precincts of the Assembly” includes the Chamber of the Assembly, the National Assemblies of Partner States, every part of the buildings in which are situated such chambers, the officers of the Assembly, the galleries, and places provided for the use of accommodation of Members, strangers, members of the public and representatives of the press, and any forecourt, yard, garden, enclosure or open space, appurtenant thereto and used or provided for the purposes of the Assembly and any other places designated by the Assembly as such.


"Presidents” means the Heads of State and Government of the Partner States;


Question" except in respect of the question time or period and a question of privileges, means a proposal presented to the Assembly or Committee of the Assembly by the Speaker or Chairperson of Committee for consideration and decision or disposal in some manner;


Recess” means a period during which the House stands adjourned to any day other than the next normal sitting day including when it is adjourned sine die at the end of the session to be followed by a prorogation;


"Serjeant-at-Arms” includes Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms, any Assistant Serjeant-at-Arms and any other person appointed by the Speaker to perform the functions of a Serjeant-at-Arms;


Session” means the sittings of the House commencing when it first meets after its prorogation or dissolution and terminating when the Assembly is prorogued or is dissolved without having been prorogued;


Sitting” means a period during which the Assembly is sitting continuously without adjournment and includes any period during which the Assembly is in Committee; but so that two or more periods of sitting within the normal period of one sitting, or within an equivalent period shall not rank as more than one “sitting”;


Sitting day” means, any day on which the Assembly sits;


Speaker” means the Speaker of the Assembly provided for under Article 53 of the Treaty and includes any Member elected under Article 56(b) of the Treaty;


Stranger” means a person other than the Speaker, a Member, or an officer of the Assembly;


Substantive motion” means an independent motion of which notice is duly given but which is neither incidental nor relating to a proceeding or order of the day already before the House;


Summit” means the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Community established under the Treaty;

 

Table” means the Clerk’s Table.


Treaty” means the Treaty of 1999 for the Establishment of the East African Community.



(2) In these Rules a reference to an ex-officio member of the Assembly means a person being a member of the Assembly is an ex-officio Member by virtue of sub-paragraph (b) of the first paragraph of Article 48 of the Treaty; and who is under the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 58 of the Treaty, not allowed to vote on any issue requiring a vote in the Assembly.