Civil society, EA Assembly back integration

Nairobi; Kenya: The regional civil society is calling for further collaboration with the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in a bid to strengthen integration.

The stakeholders are keen to establish formal linkages with the Assembly, a move that shall further popularise integration, East African Civil Society Organisations' Forum (EACSOF) Executive Director Martin Mwondha has said.

Mwondha made the remarks when he led representatives of key regional organisations in paying a courtesy call on EALA Speaker Margaret Nantongo Zziwa at the Speaker's Chambers in Arusha, Tanzania, last week.

Zziwa reiterated EALA's people-centred approach as a precursor to integration and said the Assembly would take its sensitisation activities a notch higher.

"Our new Strategic Plan (2013-2018) is anchored on a people-centred approach and we as an Assembly are keen to scale up sensitisation and to get the support of all the citizens in the partner states," she stated.

Speaking at the meeting, East African Business Council Executive Director Andrew Luzze Kaggwa noted that consultation was vital when enacting legislation.