Arusha. Tanzania’s newly elected members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) have officially been sworn in after being elected by Parliament on May 4, 2026, in Dodoma.
The legislators took the oath of office before EALA Speaker, Mr Joseph Ntakirutimana, on Monday, June 1, 2026, at the East African Community (EAC) headquarters in Arusha during a hybrid sitting of the Assembly.
Those sworn in were Mr Kosato Chumi, Mr Kambarage Wasira and Ms Fatuma Kange.
Tanzanian East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member, Kosato Chumi, speaking during an emergency parliamentary sitting in Arusha on June 1, 2026
They replace former EALA members, Mr Ngwaru Maghembe, Mr James Millya and Ms Angela Kizigha, who left the Assembly after being elected Tanzania Members of Parliament.
Ms Kizigha was later appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan as Presidential Advisor on Social Affairs.
The EAC Secretary General, Mr Stephen Mbundi, was also sworn in as a member of the Assembly in accordance with EALA rules.
Besides elected legislators, ministers responsible for EAC affairs in partner states, the Secretary General and the EAC Counsel serve as ex-officio members of the Assembly.
In his remarks, Mr Mbundi said EALA plays a critical role in ensuring accountability within the Community and pledged to work closely with the Assembly in fulfilling its mandate.
“I will work closely with you, Honourable Speaker, and all honourable members to fulfil our responsibilities in accordance with the law, guidelines and directives of the EAC Council of Ministers,” he said.
The sitting, which was conducted virtually with only a few members physically present in the Assembly chamber, experienced technical difficulties after microphones malfunctioned, delaying proceedings.
As a result, the Secretary General waited for about 10 minutes before taking the oath.
The newly sworn-in members thanked the Tanzania government for entrusting them with the responsibility of representing the country and working alongside lawmakers from the EAC’s eight partner states in lawmaking and oversight of community affairs.
East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Member, Fatuma Abdallah Kange, taking the oath during an emergency sitting held in Arusha on June 1, 2026
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Uganda’s Minister responsible for East African Community Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, presented the Community’s budget estimates for the 2026/27 financial year amounting to $110.9 million.
The EAC Council of Ministers approved the budget during its 60th extraordinary meeting to finance the operations of the Community’s organs and institutions.
The largest allocation, amounting to $59.7 million, has been earmarked for the EAC Secretariat, which coordinates implementation of the Community’s programmes and projects.
This represents a slight increase compared with the 2025/26 financial year.
East African Community (EAC) Secretary General, Ambassador Stephen Mbundi, taking the oath during a parliamentary sitting held in Arusha on June 1, 2026
EALA has been allocated $19 million, slightly lower than last year’s budget, while the remaining funds will be distributed among other organs and institutions of the Community.
