Eala wrangles deepen further

Squabbles continue to dog East African Community’s legislative arm with members again failing to hold plenary sittings in the ongoing session in Nairobi, Kenya. The rift is primarily between the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) Margret Zziwa and a majority group of members who have unsuccessfully attempted to censure her over her modus operandi.Deep cracks in Eala were already evident during the last sittings in Kigali last month during which the House failed to discuss any item on the order of the plenary session for the entire two-week duration of the session. Now The New Times understands that the two Eala factions addressed two parallel press conferences on Monday, one by Zziwa (Uganda) and her backers Tanzanian MPs Taslima Twaha and Bernard Murunya, and the other by MP Kessy Nderakindo (Tanzania), the secretary of the Crisis Committee formed in Kigali to preside over the process to impeach the Speaker, and MP Abdul Karim Harelimana of Rwanda. And another of Zziwa’s supporters and controversial member Shy-Rose Bhanji of Tanzania is said to have thrown a spanner in the works when she reportedly elbowed her compatriot Nderakindo on the back outside Kenya’s parliament after Tuesday’s opening session. Eala sources confirmed the incident, adding that the case was immediately reported to parliament police unit, with both Bhanji and Nderakindo reportedly recording statements. It also emerged that MP Nderakindo later went to hospital over the alleged attack. MP Harelimana confirmed the assault but could not explain the possible reasons behind it.The New Times could neither reach Bhanji nor Nderakindo for comment. Bobi Odiko, the Senior Eala Public Relations Officer, admitted that he heard of the incident but could not divulge more details. “I have heard that there was a member who was elbowed by a colleague outside the chamber at the end of the plenary sitting but I was not at the scene so cannot comment. Allow me time to establish my facts,” he told this newspaper. Bhanji was at the centre of controversy during last month’s Eala session in Kigali with fellow members accusing her of insulting three East African Heads of State and her colleagues as well as exhibiting unbecoming conduct during an official mission to Brussels, Belgium and on a subsequent flight back home – charges she denies. Subsequently, MPs spent most of their session in Kigali bickering and attempting to oust Bhanji from the Eala Commission (the body’s highest organ) but failed repeatedly due to quorum issues as several Tanzanian members deliberately stayed outside the chambers whenever the motion would come up for voting. On the last day of the Kigali session about three-quarters of the 45 member House held an informal meeting and decided to carry on with the push to censure the Speaker whom they also accused of complicity in the plot to foil the motion to expel Bhanji from the Eala Commission. Several members also resigned from the Commission and several standing committees over the stalemate. Speaking in Nairobi on Monday, the anti-Zziwa faction insisted that the Speaker needs to be removed from office accusing her of abuse of office, nepotism, and inability to guide the Community’s legislative organ. They reportedly vowed not to attend any plenary session chaired by Zziwa, but said they would attend a special sitting expected to be addressed by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenyatta is the chairperson of the Summit, EAC’s supreme organ which constitutes the Heads of State. Meanwhile, opening the Nairobi session on Tuesday, Kenya Parliament Speaker Justin Muturi implored Eala members to settle their differences for the good of the greater Community. “The failure of Eala to conduct plenary business since March this year is a matter of grave concern that, if not urgently addressed, has the real potential to destroy the whole Community with its organs and institutions given the critical role that the Assembly is expected to play in the running of the Community,” Muturi said. The Kenyan Speaker said East Africans had invested too much in terms of resources, energy and hope in the future of the EAC to let it go down without doing all it takes to address “this threat.” He urged the regional House members to be sensitive to the aspirations and best interest of the 150 million east Africans as they attempt to end the current impasse. Muturi warned that the current rift did not only threaten the functioning and existence of the Assembly but the foundation of the EAC.

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Eala wrangles deepen further