Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula has expressed concern over the continued arrest of East African Community (EAC) citizens over the lack of travel and work documents.

Speaking on Saturday, December 6, 2025, during the 15th EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games, which officially began in Kampala, Uganda, Wetang’ula expressed worry over the continued arrests of EAC citizens for lacking those documents and permits, saying such incidents undermine the spirit of integration.

Wetang’ula urged legislators across the region to enact laws that eliminate barriers to the free movement of people and trade.

“I pray that a political federation of the EAC comes to fruition in our lifetime. Integration is not optional. We all know that EAC countries are stronger together than apart,” he stated.

The speaker also lauded Kenya for abolishing visa requirements for all African nationals, emphasising that EAC borders should symbolise sovereignty and not hinder mobility.

He reminded Member States that the original vision of the EAC was to achieve a common currency, customs union, and ultimately a political federation.

Tension in EAC countries

EAC countries have, in recent times, come under scrutiny over different issues, especially revolving around abuse of human rights.

In Kenya, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was abducted while attending Martha Karua’s book launch in Nairobi. Despite calls from the international community, Besigye is still being held behind bars.

The same cases of abductions have also been reported in Uganda, where Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were captured after joining Bobi Wine’s rally. The duo was later released, and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni publicly admitted to detaining them.

Museveni described the two men as “experts in riots” who had then been put “in the fridge for some days”.

At the moment, Tanzania is feeling the heat following the recently concluded elections, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration is accused of violating human rights through mass killings and suppressing dissenting voices.