The East African Legislative Assembly will convene a special virtual sitting next week to debate the East African Community’s proposed budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, amid growing financial pressures facing regional institutions.
According to a statement issued Friday from the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, lawmakers will meet online on Monday, June 1, to table and debate budget estimates amounting to USD 110.8 million for the coming financial year.
“The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) will hold a special virtual sitting on Monday, 1st June 2026, at 3:00 p.m., to table and debate the East African Community Budget Estimates for the financial year 2026/2027,” the Assembly said in the statement.
The sitting, convened under Rule 10(2) of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, will also include the swearing-in of new members.
While the Assembly did not directly state that financial constraints prompted the online format, the virtual session comes as regional institutions continue to operate under budgetary strain and increasing pressure to reduce operational costs.
The proposed EAC budget approved by the Council of Ministers totals USD 110,863,576, with the largest share — USD 59.7 million allocated to the EAC Secretariat, which oversees implementation of regional programmes and projects. EALA itself has been allocated USD 19.1 million, a slight reduction compared to the previous financial year.
The Assembly is also expected to consider a supplementary budget of USD 4.79 million for the current 2025/2026 financial year to address urgent financing gaps across EAC organs and institutions.
According to the statement, the additional funding will support “the EAC Pandemic Project, procurement of critical ICT equipment, and the implementation of health and environmental programmes that have been identified as underfunded.”
The East African Community has in recent years faced recurring financial challenges linked to delayed remittances by partner states and rising operational demands across its organs and institutions.
Official EAC financial reports and Council discussions have repeatedly highlighted funding constraints affecting implementation of regional programmes, including legislative activities, infrastructure projects and peace and security initiatives.
The virtual sitting also comes amid mounting financial pressure within the East African Community caused by delayed remittances from partner states. According to figures reported by Burundi Times, the regional bloc was owed about USD 89.3 million in outstanding contributions as of early 2026, with only about 38 percent of expected member-state contributions remitted to the main budget.
Burundi Times reported that Burundi’s arrears exceeded USD 22.7 million, while the Democratic Republic of Congo owed about USD 27.7 million and South Sudan more than USD 21.8 million. The funding shortfalls have strained operations across EAC organs, including the East African Legislative Assembly, with some parliamentary activities and payments reportedly delayed due to liquidity challenges.
The financial strain prompted intervention from the EAC Heads of State Summit earlier this year, with regional leaders approving temporary waivers and measures aimed at easing pressure on partner states struggling with contribution arrears. The move was intended to prevent disruption of key Community operations and sustain regional integration programmes as several member countries faced fiscal constraints and competing domestic spending priorities.
Officials have nonetheless warned that continued delays in remittances remain a major challenge to the bloc’s long-term financial sustainability and effective functioning of institutions such as the East African Legislative Assembly and the East African Community Secretariat.
The Assembly said the special sitting reflects its oversight role in ensuring accountability in the allocation of regional resources.
“The special sitting underscores the Assembly’s commitment to its oversight and appropriation functions, ensuring that the financial resources of the Community are allocated efficiently and transparently to support regional integration and development,” the statement said.
Lawmakers are expected to scrutinize the proposed allocations and provide legislative guidance on the bloc’s financial priorities ahead of the new fiscal year.
The upcoming debate will also mark the first budget process under the new EAC Secretary General, Stephen Patrick Bundi.
