Bill on retired EA executives pay ready

Arusha. A Private Members’ Bill aimed to give better remuneration to retired executives of the East African Community (EAC), its organs and institutions will finally be tabled in the regional House which begins its two-week session in Kampala, Uganda today.

The Bill was introduced to the House by Burundi member of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) Frederic Ngenzebuhoro two years ago and seeks to provide for retirement benefits of specified leaders who have honourably served the Community and completed their terms.

It specifically seeks to give better retirement benefits to former heads of the principal organs of the EAC being Eala, the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and the EAC secretariat. Those targeted are retired EACJ President, Eala Speaker and the EAC secretary general.

A statement issued yesterday by the senior public relations officer with Eala, Mr Bobi Odiko, said EAC Retirement Benefits for Specified Heads of Organs Bill, 2016 will be amongst five Bills which will be tabled in the Eala meeting which takes place in the Uganda capital from tomorrow until January 26.

Four other Bills are also expected to be on the cards: the EAC Gender Equality and Development Bill, 2016, the Administration of East African Court of Justice Bill,2016, the EAC Cross Border Trade in Services Bill, 2016 and the EAC Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Bill, 2016.

When he introduced the Bill for the first time during a session in Kigali, Rwanda in December 2015, Mr. Ngenzebuhoro emphasized that it was pertinent for the EAC to care of the said principal officials - Eala Speaker, EA Court President and EAC secretary general - even after retirement from services, adding that they were “an embodiment of the integration process and a resource”.

Other MPs who seconded the Bill pleaded for fellow MPs to endorse it for formal tabling because of the great sympathy they had for retiring public officials. They said there were vivid cases of senior public officials who turn into paupers after retirement. These included those who had served in the service of the Community.

“Some of them were found to be short of money to buy food or pay for their children school fees”, remarked an MP from Uganda Ms Dora Byamukama, who called on the EAC and its organs to review the lumpsum payment to the retiring officials, saying it had its disadvantages.

According to Mr. Odiko, the EAC Gender Equality and Development Bill, 2016 makes provision for gender equality, protection and development in the Community while the EAC Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Bill, 2016 on its part, is seen as critical in outlawing the cultural practice.

The latter Bill, originally moved by Ms Byamukama, states the culture of FGM brings with it a number of complications, including early child marriage and defilement and health complications that sometimes lead to transmission of HIV and Aids and death and injuries to whose who bear the practice.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni will address the House on Tuesday during a special sitting.