Sezibera sworn-in as EALAs ex-officio member

ARUSHA - The new Secretary General of the EAC, Dr. Richard Sezibera, on Tuesday took oath of office as an ex-officio member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). He was sworn in at an EALA session that is underway in Arusha, Tanzania. The swearing in ceremony that was presided over by the EALA Speaker Abdirahin Haithar Abdi, saw Sezibera become one of the seven ex-officio members of the regional assembly. The session to debate and pass the East African Community Service Commission bill 2010 was adjourned to Monday next week. This followed the motion tabled by Kenya’s Assistant Minister of the East African Community, Peter Munya, to allow for more consultations by the EAC Council of Ministers. Earlier on, Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of the East African Co-operation Dr. Abdulla Saadala, had submitted, to the assembly, recommendations made by the Council of Ministers that the Bill should be debated and passed upon completion of the institutional review of the EAC. The review seeks to make changes in the organizational structure to make it an independent EAC Commission like the European Union Commission and create an independent EAC Service Commission to handle employment of EAC staff among others. However Saadalla who presented the ministerial statement, urged the assembly to hold the passing of the bill until completion of the institutional review process although he re-affirmed the ministers’ unequivocal support for the bill..Gervais Akhaabi, (Kenya) noted that reforms and reviews were a continuous process in the quest for realizing the objectives of the bloc, and that if passed and assented into law, service delivery at the Community would be enhanced. “Unless we have the institutional and legal framework, it could result into partner states seconding officers to come and work at the East African Community secretariat but these will only serve the interests of their own countries which are contrary to the EAC Treaty,” he explained. He added that the Commissions Service bill must be independent and a recommendation by the Council of Ministers that the bill be deferred for the third time is retrogressive. Members decided to pass the bill straight away saying it was progressive and would help streamline the employment. Ends

National

Sezibera sworn-in as EALAs ex-officio member