Arusha, Tanzania – Tuesday, June 3, 2025; The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in its Virtual Sitting today, resolves to vacate (with amendments), the previous House Decision of the 29th April, 2025 in Kampala, Uganda, which temporarily stayed the scrutiny and approval of the proposed EAC Supplementary Budget for FY2024/2025; and the EAC Draft Estimates for FY2025/2026, until the EAC Council of Ministers provided the requisite funds, needed to implement the budget scrutiny and approval.
In a bold move, the Council of Ministers convened its 57th Extra-Ordinary Meeting on the 29th May, 2025, to consider the resolutions of the Assembly and ‘Urge the Assembly to invoke Rule 10(5a) of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly which provides that the Assembly may hold its meetings or sittings virtually’; and also ‘Decided to avail to the Assembly, a sum of USD 660,690 through borrowing from the EAC Organs and Institutions to facilitate the Assembly to meet to consider and approve the EAC Supplementary budget for FY2024/2025; AND the EAC Draft Estimates FY2025/20026”.
The motion to vacate the previous house decision was moved by Hon. Jacquiline Amongin, and seconded (with amendments) by Hon. (Dr.) Addullah Makame.
The House therefore received the motions from Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, The EAC Chair Council of Ministers including;
1. The EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2025, and
2. The EAC supplementary Appropriation (N0.2) Bill, 2025,
Both Bills were referred to the General-Purpose Committee for further review and deliberations.
The Chair Council, further tabled the following bills;
3. The EAC Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, 2025 and
4. The EAC Customs Management (Amended), Bill, 2025,
To be read for the first time, and were subsequently referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism, and Natural Resources and the Committee on Communications, Trade, and Investment for scrutiny and deliberations respectively.
The referred bills will now undergo detailed scrutiny by their respective committees, which will engage stakeholders, conduct public hearings (where necessary), and gather input to strengthen the legislative proposals. The committees are expected to present their reports to the House for further debate and decision-making in subsequent sittings.
The members commended the Council of EAC Ministers for availing the needed funds to consider and debate the budget. However, there were calls to invoke Article 146 of the EAC Treaty to impose sanctions on Partner States that have not fulfilled their financial obligations in order to address the perennial non-remittances of contributions by some Partner States.
The sitting was adjourned, with the next session scheduled for a date to be communicated by the Office of the Clerk. The Assembly remains committed to advancing the region’s Integration Agenda and ensuring that all legislative measures align with the EAC’s vision of a prosperous, stable, and united East Africa.
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For further information, please contact:
Nicodemus Ajak Bior
Senior Public Relations Officer (SPRO)
East Africa Legislative Assembly
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255-768-885-633/, +254729157207(WhatsApp)
Email: nbior@eachq.org
Web: www.eala.org
