East African Court of Justice 3rd April 2023: The delegation of Members of National Assembly of Kenya, led by Hon. Salah Yakub Farah MP Fafi Constituency the Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Regional Integration of the National Assembly, visited the East African Court of Justice with the objective of familiarizing themselves with the role of the Court including the challenges it faces that impede the integration process. This head of delegation noted that the familiarization visit said will enable them to use their legislative power to rally competent authorities in Kenya and the Region to address them.
Hon. Yakub Farah, MP, informed the Court that the Committee is mandated among others to enhance the role and involvement of the House in intensification and development of the integration process in the EAC and the greater Africa Region. He underscored that its primary function is to accelerate the integration process in Kenya through legislative and policy agenda.
The Deputy Registrar, Her Worship Christine Mutimura welcomed the Honourable Members to the Court and reiterated that this visit presents an opportunity for the MPs to understand how the Court works, its achievements since its establishment and the challenges that impede its proper functioning. She called on the Member of the Select Committee on Regional Integration to rally behind the court in its efforts to get East African citizens to understand its mandate as well as mobilise key institutions in Kenya and the region to support it in successfully undertaking its mandate.
She further informed the Members that the credibility of the Court is currently at stake with the increasing number of its case backlog. This she said, is as a result of the insufficient budget allocated to the Court which is not enough to fund its Court Sessions. With the increasing number of matters filed before the Court, it needs at least additional ten (10) working days to each Court session as the Summit decides on whether the Judges should continue working on an ad-hoc basis.
A detailed presentation on the Court was made and this was followed by an interactive Q&A session between the Members of the Assembly and Staff of the EACJ.
The Members of the National Assembly of Kenya’s Select Committee on Regional Integration concluded their visit with a tour of the EAC premises including the court rooms, where the MPs were briefed on the process of filing court matters, hearing and appeal.
For more information please contact:
Christine Mutimura,
Deputy Registrar,
East African Court of Justice.
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: 255-27-2162149
Email: cmwekesa@eachq.org