The motion was tabled before the House during its last sitting in Kigali on October 29, but could not sail through for lack of quorum. Only two members from Tanzania were  in the House although other partner states had the required number of MPs, enough to seal the expulsion.

Eala’s Rules of Procedures (13) provide that the quorum of the House shall consist of half of the elected  members provided that such quorum shall be composed of at least three of the elected nine members from each partner state.

Burundi and Kenya had seven legislators each while Rwanda and Uganda had nine and seven MPs respectively when the matter was raised in the House on October 30th by Ms Susan Nakawuki (Uganda) who brought the matter of objection to the quorum to the notice of the Speaker Ms Margaret Natongo Zziwa.

Dora Byamukama (Uganda) tabled the motion on the previous day, calling for the removal of the outspoken  Bhanji, alleging that the Eala Member had exhibited  misconduct while on a European Union benchmarking trip to Brusells in September this year. She further alleges that during the same trip, Ms Bhanji was accompanied by other Eala Members, the legislator from Tanzania made derogatory remarks about some East African Community (EAC) partner states, some members at the Summit of the EAC states and verbally insulted members of the delegation.

She wanted the legislator in question removed from the Commission, the policy organ of Eala, by a way of a secret ballot. The issue was on the Order Paper on the morning of October 30th but the House business was interrupted as the required number of Tanzanian Members did not show up.

Ms Bhanji has denied the allegations, saying until the House was adjourned indefinitely, she had not been served with any written notice on her alleged misconduct from Eala or other authorities.

Source: The Citizen