BY THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER
Preparations are in the final stages for the 16th East African Community (EAC) Inter-Parliamentary Games, scheduled to take place in Arusha from December 4-15, 2026.
According to a press release issued by EALA Senior Public Relations Officer, Nicodemus Ajak Bior, the Bureau of Speakers of EAC national legislatures approved the tournament arrangements during its 21st ordinary meeting at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, last week.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) will host the annual games under the theme “Umoja wetu, Utajiri Wetu”.
The games will feature football, netball, basketball, golf, darts, athletics and tug-of-war.
The gathering is expected to assemble over 300 EA sportsmen and women.
South Sudan was initially expected to host the games but withdrew, citing preparations for general elections scheduled for December 2026.
The Bureau has approved an operational budget of US$134,900, to be shared among seven partner state legislatures with contributions due by this week.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been dropped from the games because it has not been participating.
The participating parliaments – Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia – have until October 23 should submit their lists of participants and the disciplines in which they will compete.
The Bureau will hold another meeting in Nairobi in two weeks’ period to review the final preparations.
