Somalia takes over leadership of EAC Speakers Bureau from Kenya

Somalia has taken over the leadership of the East African Community Speakers Bureau, succeeding Kenya after a one-year term under Kenya’s National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, who chaired the 20th Meeting of the Bureau of EAC Speakers, announced Somalia Speaker Sheikh Ade‌n Mohamed Nur as the next Chairperson.

“I want to announce to you that the next Chairperson of this bureau shall be the Federal Republic of Somalia, so my brother, Speaker Sheikh, is the one who’s going to be steering this boat for the next year,” Kingi said.

Kingi highlighted that the move would reinforce equality among member states amid occasional rivalries and supremacy debates.

“As Somalia now takes over, I believe that will send a very strong message that indeed we are one and as partner states we are equal. No partner state can claim a monopoly on this community. As member states, we have pledged our support to the federal government for the duration of their term,” he said.

Speaker Sheikh affirmed his commitment to the EAC vision of a unified and integrated region while strengthening inter-parliamentary collaboration among member states.

“I would like to confirm that we will take initiative, leadership should come together to support our parliaments, and to bring fruitful agendas in the next year,” he said.

Burundi, next in line under the rotational leadership plan, had indicated it was not ready due to internal constraints.

Praising member states for supporting Somalia’s restoration and rebuilding efforts, Speaker Kingi assured the Bureau that the country’s leadership remains on course.

“You might hear that sometimes things happen, but reality has changed. We are conducting local elections in November, and we are expecting to have the national election next year. You will witness that all will go well,” he said.

Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, is scheduled to host the 21st Meeting of the Bureau of EAC Speakers in March 2026.

Meanwhile, Uganda has confirmed its readiness to host the 15th Inter-Parliamentary Games, slated for December 6 to 17, 2025 within the Kampala Metropolitan area. Speakers lauded Uganda for hosting the games despite its ongoing campaign period ahead of the general elections on January 15, 2026.

“We wish to urge our partner states to send their teams so that the kind of preparation that this country has put in place does not go to waste,” Kingi said.

“We have had confirmation from our colleague speakers from the partner states that each one of us will endeavour to send their teams. These games are not about winning or losing. It is about deepening and widening the integration quest. It is about bringing East Africans together so that as people, we get to know each other, we exchange our cultures and become one as a people from one economic block.”

Earlier, during a meeting of Clerks of EAC National Legislatures and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Deputy Clerk Jeremiah Ndombi, representing the Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge, urged clerks as custodians of the budget to uphold integrity and transparency while ensuring partner states confirm their attendance on time.

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“This will guard against wastage of resources committed to the games by the partner states,” he said.

Proposals were also made to have EALA Clerks effectively communicate legislative actions, especially on proposed Bills, to EAC parliaments to facilitate harmonised implementation across member states.