EAC Headquarters in Arusha Tanzania - courtesy

A Kenyan parliamentary committee is urging the founders of the East Africa Community to bail South Sudan and Burundi out of accumulated membership debts on the “big brother basis” while calling for veto power to the largest contributing states.

According to The EastAfrican news agency, the suggestion was revealed in a report tabled in the Parliament of Kenya.

The country’s Parliamentary Committee on Regional Integration has reportedly appealed for a review and amendment of East African Community (EAC) Treaty in order to grant veto powers to the highest contributing partner states.

“The founding partner states could also consider paying contributions due for South Sudan and Burundi on the big brother basis and review the EAC Treaty to allow partner states’ contributions to be based on the ability to pay and retention of veto power by the highest paying partner states,” reads the report of the committee as quoted on The EastAfrican.

The document noted that the “current” financial shortages occasioned by delayed partner state contributions and dwindling development partner support “continue to adversely affect the performance of all EAC institutions thus frustrating the implementation of key projects and programmes meant to uplift the lives of East Africans.”

EAC is a regional bloc of seven members — Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They have equal voting rights and mostly make decisions via consensus and rotational policy, rather than secret ballot.

South Sudan owes the regional bloc millions of dollars in debts, resulting from accumulated annual membership fees that have not been paid.

In July 2022, a South Sudanese lawmaker at the East African Legislative Assembly said they are ashamed of participating in sittings when the government is unable to pay the membership fee to the EAC.

Dr. Ann Itto said the non-payment of the country’s membership fee has weakened their participation in the regional parliament. The debts are reportedly close to 40 million US dollars.