We back EAC proposed reforms, says Kenyatta

Nairobi. Kenya has said it would  support moves to undertake major reforms within the East African Community (EAC) and its organs and institutions to make it effective in discharging its duties.
President Uhuru Kenyatta assured members of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) here yesterday that their proposals forwarded to the partner states, including amendment of the Treaty that established EAC, had full backing of his government.
Others include the direct funding of Eala by member countries in the bloc instead of the finances earmarked for it as annual expenditure routed through the Secretariat, the executive arm of the Community.
“I have complete support of your proposals. Direct funding should be introduced quickly and effectively,” he said, adding that his government was also in support of the proposed methods in assenting to the Bills passed by the House.
The Kenyan leader said Assenting of the Bills by the Heads of State of the partner states should be simplified instead of bulky documents  taken all over the five capitals.
Instead, he suggested, the major bills should be signed by the regional leaders during the EAC Summits while the Appropriation Bill can be assented by the sitting Chair of the Summit alone “so that we don’t delay the process”.
President Kenyatta reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the East African integration process but expressed his concern that the message of integration has not been effectively communicated to the ordinary people.
He added that implementation of the key EAC protocols aimed to enhance economic integration, the Customs Union and Common Market protocols left a lot to be desired given the restrictions imposed by member countries on movement of people, goods, services and capital.
He said the EA region wished Tanzania “the best of success” in the latter’s coming elections, hoping that the polls would be peaceful and that the government which would come to power will “continue the same sense of commitment to the Community”.
Earlier, Eala Speaker Daniel Kidega reiterated recent calls made by the legislators and other stakeholders to amend the EAC Treaty and give full autonomy to the Assembly.
He said the mode of assenting the Bills anchored on Article 63 of the EAC Treaty had to change in order to reduce time it takes for the process to be completed and the legislation enforced.
Until now, a Bill that has not received assent as per the requirements of the Article within three months from the date on which it was passed by the Assembly shall be referred back to the Assembly.
If the Assembly discusses and approves the Bill, the Bill shall be re-submitted to the Heads of State for assent. But if a Head of State of a partner state withholds assent to a re-submitted Bill, the Bill shall lapse.
Mr Kidega described as “a chronic cancer eating the Community” the stalled Institutional Review  programme for the EAC on grounds that it has been on cards for the past six years consuming a staggering $2 million. He called for the speeding up of the process.

An Eala member from Rwanda Martin Ngonga lauded the EAC states of being steadfast in the fight against terrorism and called on the states which have not ratified the EAC Protocol on Defence and Security to do so.
He also pleaded for increased remunerations for the regional MPs, including extending car loans to them. He noted that Eala was underfunded and understaffed to an extent it cannot undertake its mandate effectively and efficiently.