Rebecca Kadaga (3rd Right) is joined by other panelists at the post-budget dialogue The Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga has lashed out at some of the member states in the East African Community (EAC) for failing to pay subscription fees, which has crippled the activities at the regional bloc, despite these nations expecting the benefits of the bloc.She expressed her concerns during the EAC Post-Budget Dialogue for 2025/26, that was organized by Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda, held at Hotel Africana in Kampala last week.“That is why I mentioned in the beginning that the delivery of the budget this time was virtual. We are eight, only four members are contributing. The others are still having a free ride, and yet they are expecting benefits,” said Kadaga.Fred Mwebya, General Manager, Startboom Digital, an Innovation Digital Agency, while reacting to Kadaga’s remarks expressed dissatisfaction over the failure by the EAC Member states to pay subscription fees and also wondered why the regional bloc has failed to invest in modern technology to hold their meetings instead of sticking to the traditional method of holding physical meetings that a financial burden to taxpayers within the EAC.“She clearly noted that only four member states can be able to meet their obligations towards the community activities, and my issue or my worry is what are the other four states doing in the community, and if so, what are the solutions that this community is putting out to make sure that the activities of the community can continue without stopping them because of lack of resources?”Mwebya asked.He added: “She (Kadaga) clearly mentioned that they passed a budget on Zoom, which I think is a good thing, but at the end of the day, even on Zoom, they did not have the participation of all the states. Today, we are at Africana having a conversation about the post-budget conversation dialogue and the question is, where is DRC? Where is South Sudan? But at the end of the day, when they are actually going into the bigger conversations on the African continent, like the African Union, they keep saying the East African community has eight member states, but the other members are not participating.”Although Kadaga declined to reveal the nations that aren’t paying subscription fees, the Ugandan Government has also been cited in several Parliamentary reports over its failure to fulfil its financial obligations through the payment of subscription fees in international organisations, with the debt having accumulated to UGX89Bn.Catherine Lamwaka, Chairperson, Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee to while presenting the Committee report on the 2025/26 Ministerial Policy statement expressed grave concern that despite the substantial benefits that have accrued to Uganda from its membership to these international organisations, the country has persistently failed to fulfil its financial commitments to the organizations.She informed Parliament that by June 2025, Uganda’s arrears will have accumulated to UGX 89.698Bn. In the 2025/26 national budget, only UGX17.604Bn has been allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clearing these arrears leaving a short fall of UGX.72.085Bn.Mwebya cautioned EAC Governments to change mode of operation and invest in technology that would foster effective management of the EAC affairs if it’s citizens are to reap benefits of belonging to the regional bloc.“Right now we would be having DRC and Sudan here at Africana participating, but because there is no infrastructure that has been adopted by the East African community to help them run this, that’s why the members are missing out. And then it will also save the costs. The cost of sending ministers to a summit is too high for states to maintain. Rather, they would rather meet a one-off cost to buy technology, set up new auditoriums where these conferences can happen,” Mwebya noted.He added, “I think that’s where Africa needs to move. But as of now, I think we are in a very, very bad state, and it is very a shaming to understand that we have a community that is less funded, and it is non-functional because without money, what can they do? Nothing.”The post Kadaga Blasts EAC Member States Over Unpaid Subscription Fees appeared first on Business Focus.