EALA Receives FY 2026/27 Budget, Swears In Tanzania Representatives

The East African Legislative Assembly has officially received and adopted the proposed East African Community budget of USD 110,863,576 for the 2026/2027 financial year. Tabled by Rebecca Kadaga, the Chairperson of the Council of EAC Ministers, the budget estimates were immediately forwarded to the General-Purpose Committee for detailed scrutiny. This fiscal plan was previously approved during the 60th Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers held from May 18 to May 22, 2026.

The 2026/2027 budget allocates funding across nine distinct regional organs and institutions to sustain operations and development programmes. The EAC Secretariat receives the largest share at USD 59.7 million, followed by the East African Legislative Assembly at USD 19.2 million and the Inter-University Council for East Africa at USD 9.3 million. The Lake Victoria Basin Commission gets USD 7.0 million, the East African Court of Justice receives USD 5.0 million, and the East African Science and Technology Commission is allocated USD 2.7 million. The remaining funds are divided among the East African Health Research Commission at USD 2.3 million, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization at USD 2.2 million, and the East Africa Kiswahili Commission at USD 1.6 million.

Financing for this annual budget relies on a mixed structure designed to reflect both regional ownership and international backing. Partner States will directly contribute the majority share of the funds, amounting to USD 62.77 million. Development partners will complement this regional funding by providing USD 46.10 million. Additional resources required to balance the budget will be drawn from institutional reserves and other internal income streams.

Alongside the main budget, a Supplementary Budget of USD 4,794,593 was approved for the 2025/2026 financial year to address urgent financing gaps. This extra allocation builds upon the previously approved 2025/2026 base budget of approximately USD 109.05 million. The EAC Secretariat takes the largest portion of these supplementary funds at USD 2.31 million, while the remainder goes to the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization, the East African Science and Technology Commission, and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission.

The supplementary funds are strictly targeted toward high-impact interventions and emergency regional priorities. Key areas of focus include strengthening pandemic preparedness, advancing sexual and reproductive health programmes, and upgrading institutional ICT infrastructure. The money will also support governance and peace-building capacities, climate resilience projects in the Lake Victoria Basin, fisheries management, food security, and innovation initiatives for women and youth.

Legally, these financial allocations are anchored within the framework of the EAC Appropriation Act, 2026, and the Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2026. Both instruments have been presented to the General-Purpose Committee to ensure all spending complies with proper governance procedures. The House has adjourned its sessions to allow the committee sufficient time to scrutinize the figures and report back before the June 30 deadline.

The assembly also reshuffled its standing committees following recent vacancies created by legislative changes in Uganda and South Sudan. James Kakooza and Dennis Namara left to join the Parliament of Uganda, while Luke Thompson departed after being appointed Minister of Health in South Sudan. Consequently, Paul Musamali joined the Committee on General Purpose, Gai Deng shifted to the Committee on General Purpose, and Sadia James moved to the Committee on Accounts.

Furthermore, the session included the administration of oaths for a new ex-officio member and three new legislators from Tanzania. 

EAC Secretary General Patrick Bundi was sworn in as an ex-officio member of the assembly. 

Additionally, Fatuma Abdallah Kange, 

Cosato David Chumi, and

Kambarage Masato Wasira took their oaths of allegiance to replace Ng’waru Maghembe Jumaine, James Millya, and Angela Kizigha, who were elected to the Tanzania National Parliament.