Rwandan and Burundian ministers in charge of East African Community Affairs on Wednesday, February 16, owned up, on behalf of their colleagues, and pledged to work out a plan such that recommendations the regional Parliament makes are fully implemented.

That was after members of the East African Legislative Assembly who are currently sitting in Arusha, Tanzania, expressed disappointment that the EAC Council of Ministers is always dragging its feet when it comes to implementing the bulk of recommendations the House makes on matters pertaining to the region’s integration agenda.

When debate on the report of the House’s Committee on Accounts on the audited accounts of the six-member bloc for the year ended June 30, 2019, ended on Wednesday, Burundi's Minister for East African Community Affairs, Amb Ezechiel Nibigira, and Manasseh Nshuti, Rwanda’s Minister of State for EAC Affairs, were allowed to react to lawmakers' concerns.

Nibigira was in the House physically while Nshuti followed proceedings virtually from Kigali. None of their other colleagues were present.

"We are going to join hands so that really, the recommendations that are made maybe implemented,” the Burundian minister said.

He pledged that whenever there will be a recommendation that lacks funds for implementation, they will always push such that in the following year’s budget, it is catered for.

"This is our assignment”

Nibigira is now the acting Chairperson of the Council of Ministers after Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of EAC and Regional Development, Adan Mohamed, resigned on Tuesday to contest for a political seat in the upcoming general elections.

Each Partner State has a Minister in charge of EAC affairs. That Minister takes oath of allegiance to the Community in the Assembly and becomes an ex-officio member of the legislative body.

However, Nshuti admitted that it is hard for the Assembly to address ex-officio members who are never present.

He too noted: "I recommend that we take these issues seriously. When I was also Chair of the Council sometime back I also raised these issues. The (EAC) Secretary General must also be present.”

EAC Secretary General, Peter Mathuki, is in Brussels attending the ongoing EU-AU Summit and EALA is aware.

Nshuti, among others, proposed that Council members could have timeliness as well as clarity on who is doing what so as to ensure accountability.

Advocating for change of way we do business

EALA Speaker Martin Ngoga told Nibigira and Nshuti that "there is only one formula” the Ministers can use, for things to work.

"Honourable Ministers, be involved,” the Speaker stressed, noting that it is only by being seriously dedicated to the work in their EAC dockets that all issues before them can be solved.

"Don’t delegate duties to your officials,” Ngoga said, adding: "The challenge we have, Honourable Ministers, is that you don’t take enough time to understand the proposals that come to you.”

Lawmakers have for long requested, to no avail, that all members of the Council of Ministers always be present when the Assembly is deliberating on matters. On very rare occasions have all Partner States’ Ministers in charge of EAC affairs been present during the House’s sittings.

"If this docket is less important for you, what do you remain with if its withdrawn? Why should a member appointed by his country to be here with us find something else to do? Ministers, you should be here with us!” Ngoga said.

In the end, Nibigira said lawmakers’ advice was well noted. He said some Council members may often have problems to attend to, elsewhere but they are fully committed to serve the EAC.

Ngoga stressed that "we are not questioning the commitment of the Council but we are only advocating for the change of the way we do business.”

EALA Speaker Martin Ngoga   said "there is only one formula” the Ministers can use, for things to work. He said they should all "be involved,” noting that it is only by being seriously dedicated to the work in their EAC dockets that all issues before them can be solved.

Lawmakers on Wednesday adopted the Committee report.

The Assembly urged the Council of Ministers – which comprises Ministers form each partner state who are responsible for EAC Affairs – to put in place a proper mechanism which will enable the parliament to receive periodical reports on the status of implementation of its recommendations from the Council.

Lawmakers also want the Council to periodically update the Assembly on the status of implementation of previous audit recommendations on a quarterly basis.

Issues highlighted in the report include delay in the conclusion of matters regarding the bloc’s alternative financing mechanism, perpetual delays in partner states remittances, as well as weak internal audit function of EAC.

Last December, the Council announced that the proposal on a hybrid model for financing the bloc’s budget needs some more consultations.