The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the legislative arm of the now seven-member East African Community, will bring its plenary sessions to Kigali.
As announced by the regional House, the upcoming fifth session of the fourth Assembly will take place at the Parliament of Rwanda, from October 23 to November 5.
Due to disruptions including budget issues in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic, regional lawmakers have not held a sitting in Kigali for nearly five years. Their last plenary sitting in Kigali was during the third EALA but, every year, various committee members have conducted oversight activities in Rwanda, as well as other partner states.
By press time, on Monday, October 17, the order paper specifying matters to be debated was not yet out. The EALA Commission, the Assembly’s leading committee, will meet in the course of the week to set the agenda.
But some of the outstanding issues the fourth Assembly is likely to try and conclude before it’s term ends, in December, include the debate on the EAC sexual and reproductive health Bill.
