Regional Speakers have launched the East African Parliamentary Institute (EAPI) in Nairobi, with the training outfit expected to harness capacities and narrow the skills gap of Parliamentarians and staff in the quest to further strengthen the integration process.
Speaking at the official launch, EALA Speaker, Rt Hon Ngoga K Martin, underscored the importance of the institute’s presence in the region, to catapult the integration process and provide a valuable link between people within the EAC and beyond, EAPI would provide an adequate base of knowledge on legislative matters to Members of Parliament and staff who at times come from different background when they join Parliaments.
According to the Act, the regional Speakers form the Board of Trustees of the new Institution which shall be chaired by the EALA Speaker while the Clerk of the regional assembly shall oversee the activities of its Governing Council. At the recent 38th Meeting of the Council of Ministers, the matter of an institutional structure was discussed and according to Rt Hon Ngoga, the Board of Trustees shall promptly propel forward the administrative framework to make EAPI fully operational.