The East African Legislative Assembly Speaker Margaret Zziwa has continued to defy a move to censure her in a long-running dispute with members who accuse her of disrespecting them and stifling the activities of the House.

EALA sittings opened on a low-key in Kigali last week, where it had been expected that MPs would either boycott sessions or push through a motion to remove Ms Zziwa as Speaker over a dispute that started in April.

The first week had two sessions in which discussions on several reports were postponed. The sittings were adjourned for two days — Wednesday and Thursday — following a motion moved by Kenyan EALA representative Abubakar Zein. 

Members said the reason for adjournment was because of a trip to Belgium early this month. The legislators went on a five-day visit to Brussels to enhance relations with the European Union parliament.

READ: EALA MPs to proceed with censure motion

Sources say that during the trip there was an argument between two members — one from Tanzania and a key ally of the Ms Zziwa, and another from Uganda who is opposed to the Speaker. The MPs have vowed to force the Speaker to reschedule the censure motion for next week.

Rwandan representatives Abdul Karim Harelimana and Christophe Bazivamo say the Speaker must allow the motion to be discussed.

“We have been trying to make it easy for her to allow the motion to be discussed so that she steps down and allows other competent members to take over,” Mr Harelimana told The EastAfrican.

‘We have detailed her mistakes and weaknesses and a motion was moved to have her step her down, but she has swept the matter under the carpet. We have gone through all the processes based on the House rules, but she has been ignoring the motion,” he added.

“We cannot continue working like this. All this time she has been claiming that this issue has been resolved but it has not. Everything has been put on hold,” said Mr Harelimana.

Mr Bazivamo said boycotting the sessions was necessary. “What we are doing is for the good of all of us as a region. EALA cannot fulfil its obligations if it is not properly run,” he said.

Peter Mathuki, Kenya’s EALA representative, said what unfolded in Brussels was affecting members’ integrity. “We are demanding that the members involved face disciplinary measures, because the Speaker has so far done nothing.”

However, Ms Zziwa said the matter was not serious and can be resolved outside the House.

“This is all about a group of members’ intentions to frustrate the sittings of the House,” said Ms Zziwa. “Their motive is to move the motion to censure me again,” Ms Zziwa said.

She added that said there are not enough grounds for her step down in the middle of her five year term.

“The Speaker is appointed or elected under an article in the Treaty which gives clear guidelines or terms of reference,” she said.

“We are 45 members representing 145 million people. If we cannot be together, how can we convince the rest of the 145 million East Africans that we can be together as the EAC?” Ms Zziwa asked.

By Edmund Kagire and Christabel Ligami