Eala should focus on citizens' role in region's integration

Kenya's representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) at a city hotel on December 8, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Kenya's Kenya Kwanza and Azimio recently nominated representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) organ of the East African Community (EAC). The Kenya Kwanza coalition fronted five of its members while the Azimio fronted four.

Article 50 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC stipulates that, among other things, "the National Assemblies of Partner States shall elect, not from among its members, nine members of the Assembly, who shall represent as much as it is feasible, the various political parties represented in National Assembly, shades of opinion, gender and other special interest groups in that Partner State in accordance with such procedure as the National Assembly of each Partner State may determine.''