Former Ugandan First Lady Miria Kalule Obote will join her ‘original partner states independence colleagues’ Mama Ngina Kenyatta of Kenya and Maria Nyerere of Tanzania to address a ‘special session’ of the East African Legislative Assembly on May 31.
‘The Special Sitting presents a unique opportunity for the Members to interact and to share experiences with the distinguished former first ladies’ given that EAC as is constituted today, borrows a number of best practices from the first bloc,’ a release by the EALA states in part.
On March 16 the Assembly hailed the three ‘original’ First Ladies of the integration process, as a way of recognising the role they played and continue to play in galvanising East Africa in the integration process.
The Resolution was moved by Hon. Mumbi Ng’aru and seconded by Hon. Shyrose Bhanji and Hon. Chris Opoka – Okumu.
Meanwhile, also to be deliberated upon during the two-week session of the Fourth Session of the Third Assembly presided over by EALA Speaker Rt Hon Dan Kidega, is the EAC Budget speech to be delivered by the Chair of the Council of Ministers, Hon Dr. Augustine Mahiga on Thursday, May 26.
The Budget Speech is a key activity of the EAC calendar and last year, EALA debated and approved EAC Budget estimates for the Financial Year 2015/2016 totaling to USD 110, 660,098.
The 2015/2016 Budget prioritized on the operationalization of the Single Customs Territory, enhanced implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol with particular focus on implementation of the new generation EAC internationalised e-Passports and development of the EAC trading, payments and settlements systems.
Debate on the recent State of EAC Address, is also on the menu. On March 8th, 2016, The Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Rt Hon Kassim Majaliwa delivered the State of EAC Address to EALA at the 5th Meeting of the 4th Session in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The Prime Minister informed the House that progress had been realised following the entry of the Single Customs Territory. He remarked that finalization of key operational instruments, revision of business manuals, development of M&E tool framework, deployment of staff and revision of an enforcement framework had opened the path for the operationalisation of the SCT in the Partner States.
Also, two key Bills on the cards at the two-week EALA meeting are the EAC Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Bill, 2015 and the EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2016.
