The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) will in the coming week resume business, holding its plenary session in Kampala, Uganda.
The three-week session which takes place from January 22 until February 9 is the second meeting of the First Session of the Forth Assembly. It will be presided by the new EALA Speaker, Rt. Hon Martin Ngoga.
President Yoweri Museveni who is the Chair of the Summit of EAC Heads of State is expected to deliver the State of EAC Address to the Assembly.
The State of EAC Address is an annual address delivered by the sitting EAC Summit Chair. It sets the momentum and impetus for the integration process by reflecting on general policies that relate to the Community’s progress while outlining the strategic challenges which require attention.
This is the second time Uganda is hosting the EALA Assembly in a period of two years.
As part of the business, the Assembly will debate three key Bills; the EAC Oaths Bill, 2017, the EAC Statistics Bureau Bill, 2017 and the EAC Monetary Institute Bill, 2017.
The EAC Monetary Institute Bill seeks to establish the East African Monetary Institute (EAMI) as an institution that will set ground for the EAC Monetary Union.
On its part, the EAC Statistics Bureau Bill will provide for the formation, gorvenance, functions and funding of the Statistics Bureau, an institution charged with statistics that will to support the East African Monetary Union.
During the sessions, the members that constitute the six Committees of the Assembly will be elected.
EALA is the legislative organ of the East African Community and is responsible for oversight of all East African Community matters. The Assembly has to date passed 79 pieces of legislation.