By Aggrey BabaUganda has committed to taking over responsibility for paying its representatives in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), while preparing to implement a new selection model that will give each East African Community (EAC) member state greater control over choosing its nine legislators.The commitment was made by the Speaker of Parliament, Jacobo Oboth-Oboth, during an extraordinary meeting of the Speakers’ Bureau of the EAC in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, October 29, 2026.He said Uganda had taken note of the decisions adopted at the 25th Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State, including the proposed change to Article 50(1) of the EAC Treaty, which governs the election of EALA members.Under the proposed arrangement, each partner state would be free to identify and select its nine representatives in accordance with procedures determined by that country.Uganda has pledged to support the necessary legal and institutional changes to operationalize the decision.“Uganda is committed to abiding by the Summit’s decision and looks forward to participating in the necessary amendments to the Treaty to provide the legal framework for the new arrangement,” Oboth-Oboth said.He added that the Parliament of Uganda was prepared to amend its Rules of Procedure and make the institutional adjustments required to implement the new system.The proposed changes could reshape how EALA representatives are selected across the regional bloc, although their implementation will depend on the necessary amendments to the Treaty establishing the EAC.On remuneration, Oboth-Oboth said Uganda had acknowledged the Summit’s decision to place responsibility for paying EALA legislators on their respective partner states.He said the Parliament of Uganda would review its budgetary provisions to determine how the country could accommodate the financial obligation.“Parliament of Uganda is committed to reviewing its budgetary provisions to determine how it can accommodate this responsibility,” he said, adding that Uganda stood ready to implement the decision once the required treaty amendments were effected.The shift would place the responsibility for financing Uganda’s representatives directly on the national budget, making the necessary budgetary planning an important part of implementing the regional decision.Beyond the proposed institutional reforms, Oboth-Oboth reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to regional parliamentary cooperation, including the forthcoming EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games scheduled for December 5 to 15, 2026, in Arusha, Tanzania.He disclosed that Parliament had already remitted its contribution of US$19,239 to the Office of the Clerk of EALA towards preparations for the event.Oboth-Oboth said the games were an important platform for strengthening friendship, solidarity and cooperation among the region’s parliaments.He also thanked Kenya’s Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula, for hosting the Ugandan delegation and commended the EALA Speaker and the chairperson of the Speakers’ Bureau for advancing parliamentary cooperation within the regional bloc.“The strength of our Community lies in our ability to keep working together and turning our collective decisions into action,” Among said. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).