Arusha. Nine representatives from Somalia have been officially sworn in as members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), where they will serve until the end of the current assembly term in December 2027.
Their inauguration marks a step in strengthening Somalia’s participation in regional leadership within the East African Community (EAC).
The newly appointed MPs are Abukar Abdi Osman, Hussein Hassan Abdi, Sahra Ali Hassan, Ilhan Ali Gasar, Fatima Abdullahi Mahmoud, Abdisalam Hadliye Omar, Abdirahman Bashir Sharif, Faisal Abdi Roobke, and Fahma Ahmed Noor.
They were selected following a nomination process conducted by the Somali Federal Parliament at the end of 2025, aimed at representing their country in EALA’s legislative debates and law-making activities that guide the EAC’s regional agenda.
The swearing-in ceremony took place during a special hybrid session at the Assembly’s headquarters in Arusha, combining both online and in-person participation.
The event followed a months-long delay caused by legal disputes over the nomination process and financial challenges facing the regional bloc.
Somalia formally joined the EAC in November 2023 as its eighth member but had not previously participated fully in EALA proceedings.
Their induction follows a January 2026 ruling by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), which overturned a prior order that had suspended the appointment process due to electoral conflicts. The ruling paved the way for the Somali MPs to officially assume their positions.
These new representatives now join colleagues from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, further enhancing the Assembly’s regional representation.
However, EALA continues to face challenges, particularly as sessions have been conducted online since last year due to financial constraints, which has affected its traditional influence and presence.
Funding for the EAC, including EALA and the East African Court of Justice, relies heavily on member state contributions. According to official EAC data, as of January 31, 2026, the bloc was owed a total of $89.37 million in unpaid contributions.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo tops the list with $27 million, followed by Burundi ($22.7 million), South Sudan ($21.8 million), and Somalia ($10.5 million). Only four countries—Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda—had fully remitted their contributions on time for the 2025/2026 financial year.
In response, EAC leaders approved a new funding framework based on each member state’s national gross domestic product (GDP), aiming to ensure a fairer distribution of financial responsibilities and a stricter timetable for contributions.
Kenyan President William Ruto, while handing over a report to the new EAC leadership, noted that over 35 percent of the EAC’s expenditures are directed to EALA.
“To ease this financial burden, leaders agreed that member states would now cover the salaries of their own MPs attending Assembly sessions,” he said.
