Operations halted as EALA MPs go three months without pay

In an internal memo dated January 27, EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva asked the Clerk of EALA to explain why members’ salaries have not been paid since November 2025.

The memo follows a complaint from KCB Bank Tanzania, which says it cannot recover unpaid loan installments for the same period.

The East African Legislative Assembly, the body mandated to legislate on issues affecting the East African Community, is facing a serious cash flow crisis.

For the past three months, members from the eight partner states, who conduct their business in Arusha, Tanzania, have been operating on empty pockets.

The situation has not only disrupted activities at the assembly but has also raised concerns with financial institutions, which are struggling to recover loans from the members.

"It has been difficult to receive our salaries regularly, we have now stayed for some time without receiving our salaries, so it is a challenge," said David Sankok, MP, EALA.

Sankok said the issue has not only delayed salaries for members and staff but has also hindered lawmakers from effectively executing their mandate, including discussing and passing bills that benefit the region.

"My duty is to legislate. Wakati sittings zinaahirishwa hatukai more frequently, it becomes very difficult to be as active as I was in the National Assembly. Currently, I have only managed three bills and motions, four of them, banning the importation of leather products, blue economy bill, use of local currency. If it was regularly, I could be at nine or 12 bills," Sankok added.

He attributed the challenge to member states that fail to honour their obligation of remitting their annual contributions and calls for sanctions to compel non-remitting states to fulfil their responsibilities.

"We have members of parliament from eight member states. It’s the money from four states that are supposed to pay all MPs, staff, even from non-remitting member states so we have that problem of some member states not honouring their financial obligation," Sankok pointed out.

"One which is very notorious is the Democratic Republic of Congo, they have never paid a coin. South Sudan has been trying, but it has a lot that is pending, yet the staff and MPs also earn from us."

To end the cycle of dependency, disruption of assembly programmes, and delays in salaries, Sankok suggested the establishment of an EAC economic bloc.

This, he said, would ensure that each member state directly caters for the salaries and allowances of its representatives, with the remainder of the budget then sent to EALA. Currently, the 63 EALA MPs take home over Ksh.1 million every month in salaries and allowances.